April 27, 2009
Targeting Mr. Mom
By Tom Ryan
According to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics, the recession is putting more men out of work than
women. That has led to an increase of stay-at-home dads who are increasingly
taking on the traditional women’s roles of childcare, housework, school
life, and much of the shopping.
The shift is also occurring
as women’s sharing household duties has become more socially acceptable.
Scott Coltrane, a University
of Oregon sociologist who studies the role of fathers, told McClatchy
News Service that even before the recession, fathers were taking a
larger role in family responsibilities as dual-income families became more
the norm.
‘We have much more tag-team
parenting,’ he said.
But the increasing number
of stay-at-home dads means more men are wandering the shopping aisles with
their own particular demands. For instance, Tom Imperato, 62, whose real
estate business collapsed in the downturn, told The New York Times that
he goes to Costco at 11:30 a.m. to avoid lines when food shopping for his
wife and 9-year-old twin daughters. He joined the PTA after losing his
job and immediately noticed that he tends to tackle matters "with
a bluntness honed in the financial industry" while the women "communicate
more diplomatically."
Dads are also steering
more purchases. Chuck Hammond, who has been a stay-at-home dad since losing
his project management job in early 2008, bought his one year old, Reagan,
a bib that says ‘KISS me I rock" that mimics the rock band’s logo.
The bib also shows a "sign of the thorns" two-finger gesture
(raised index and pinkie finger) popular among heavy metal and hard rock
bands.
According to U.S. Census
Bureau figures, stay-at-home dads jumped almost 50 percent from 2003 to
2006. But even with the gains over that period, there were still more than
30 stay-at-home mothers for every father.
The New York Times’ article
pointed out that with their self-esteem often measured by their corporate
status, newer stay-at-home dads are often depressed and some support groups
are forming to help with the transition. But their minority status also
makes them feel alienated mingling among mothers. Such isolation led Mr.
Hammond to start a blog for stay-at-home dads, www.dudesondiapers.com.
He told McClatchy
News Service that his wife will go to a store with Reagan and come
home with numerous telephone numbers from mothers who want to start a
play group. Mr. Hammond said he never gets the invites.
‘You’d think women with
children would be coming up asking me questions,’ he said.
"I’m the leper. You don’t get invited to that women’s network.’
Discussion Questions:
What, if anything, should grocers and other stores be doing to accommodate
the growth in stay-at-home dads? How would you rate the opportunity in
targeting stay-at-home dads?
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If I see baby wipes and Zincofax by the power drills, I’m gonna freak. Okay, seriously there is a small opportunity here but what can you do? The guy is at home because he has no job–or money to spend on anything impulse. Store layouts at most grocers are pretty effective as they are but I could see doing some tweaking to make it a little more man-friendly. Raise up your high-margin stuff to the upper shelves (probably 5 feet 5 inches up at least). Make sure men’s grooming is well stocked and well signed/tagged. Have a lot of Tylenol or Advil on hand as well….
I know several stay-at-home dads. The important thing to remember is that they are still guys–easily influenced if you speak their language–hence the bib, “I rock.” Smart marketers will see this and use the best of beer advertising throughout grocery stores for such things as the staples. If the dad can look cool by using the products instead of like a loser staying at home, the money will follow.
Retailers and advertisers should reverse the long-time trend of picturing dads as being dense dolts. Instead they should make stay at home dads feel welcome in their stores through customer service that is designed to make dads feel comfortable.
When targeting “Mr. Mom,” keep in mind the reason for an increasing number of men shopping grocery stores is simple: many are out of work! Don’t overlook the opportunities to sell and merchandise not only male-appealing items and necessities, but also items that will help these new found consumers find new jobs; grooming items, health and beauty, oral care, and even software and books for resume building and job hunting.
Men are very visually oriented, so now is the time to step up the visual aids that men find appealing. Still one thing to keep in mind is that this is not a huge shift in demographics. Only a small percentage of the male population are losing their jobs. The national unemployment rate is still very low and in single digits.
The “stay-at-home” roles are modifying for a lot of reasons: the economy has tightened and men have been hit hardest by layoffs; women continue to spread their career wings; and some men desire a closer tie to the development of their young children. But “Mr. Moms” don’t seem to get accepted by the real Moms in that role. They are like fraternity members without a fraternity. This adds frustration and ego diminishment to the males now cast into that situation.
Retailers could build more men-oriented displays, set up a sports TV monitor and form a men’s shopping club. In other words, give “Mr. Moms” a sense of vitality in that role.
Totally agree with Max–let’s stop the dad bashing. It’s high time for Dad Lib movement! A grocer could own that idea.
Sure they may want to do things a bit differently from their wives: use shop towels in the kitchen and fishing vests as diaper bags. This is a cause for celebration and a possible improvement in housework. Appealing to men may not simply be a question of merchandising and product placement. Let’s look at more traditionally male categories and adapt household products (and behaviors) to correlate with them.
Finally, I think the trend of male participation in domestic chores will extend beyond the recession. We know that younger generations of men help out more than their fathers did. This period will only accelerate those cultural changes–permanently.
I’ve been writing on this a bit lately. I think the key is to notice that men are starting to buy more often, and to buy using their perhaps more feminine brain traits. This means, due to economy or just a bit more space to think/gather information, they may deliberate a bit more or spend some time asking friends/researching the purchases. Still, like women–what will resonate with them is products/brands delivered to them in their language and around their concerns. As many have said here–men do get bashed a lot. That’s not how we really live or communicate, so ads that do that are irrelevant. Be inspired and guided by the market you serve. Start talking to those shopping dads and they’ll give you the guidance!
Merchandising and marketing may not be the whole solution, but it can certainly help. Case in point: if it’s still on the market–and I hope it is–the diaper-rash product that had the good sense to use grunge package design and call itself Butt Cream.
Now, there’s a product that’s going to appeal to dads in a heartbeat! (And moms with a sense of humor. I’d have bought it in a second!)
In fact, let’s take a whole section of the baby category and position it for real people–lose the pastels, the tinkly music-box music and the cooing mommy voice-overs. Dads (and many moms) want to raise babies, not become them–and I would suspect that a six-figure executive who’s been laid off, especially, is going to want products that don’t suggest that just because he spends his day with kids that he now has the mentality of one.
There are worse things than a SportsCenter logo on the diaper bag….
It’s interesting to contrast this with the earlier discussion about companies like Frito-Lay doing more to target women, since they direct most of the spending. Reading between the lines, that seems to say that they have not been focused on women in the past, despite the fact that women direct the majority of spending, particularly in a grocery store. So if retailers and manufacturers are only now shifting towards a female-focused merchandising strategy, then guys should already be locked and loaded to make the most of their shopping experience, right?
Even if they are not full time stay at home dads, the trend of dads taking a more active role in household responsibilities including grocery shopping is on the rise. This could be a huge opportunity for specific categories and brands. Let me name a few that should be focusing on dads ASAP:
1) Manwich meal
2) Hamburger Helper
3) SPAM
4) Frozen vegetables
5) Oscar Myer
6) Hot dogs
7) Mac and Cheese
8) Kool-Aid
9) Frozen dinners
Dads can relate to these categories or brands because they are simple and, for some of these brands, there is a nostalgic feel that dads want to now share with their children. What dad doesn’t remember the Oscar Myer and Kool-Aid commercials or those great nights watching TV with your siblings while enjoying a frozen dinner with the babysitter.
This list of brands and categories will grow as dads take on a larger role in shopping and they become more comfortable with the process. Until then, I hope the brands and categories above take advantage of this opportunity and start marketing to me and the thousands of dads that want to be reminded of their childhood.
Whenever I take my two daughters to McDonald’s they always order a Happy Meal. Every time the person taking the order asks, “Boy or girl?” and every time I have to ask what are the different toys that are available. Just because my daughters are girls doesn’t mean they want a doll rather than a car.
The same applies here. Grocers and other stores will connect better with stay-at-home dads when they quit assuming that mom cooks and shops while dad goes to work. The more they target the “parent” that cooks and shops the better. This also applies to single parents and gay couples.
By the way, I’m writing this from a Starbucks where the next table over has three dads with their pre-school children. I asked them what they thought and one of them responded jokingly, “Tell them to add free beer or charcoal with purchase with diapers and they have my business.” So there you go, straight from the stay-at-home dad’s mouth.
Men like to feel cool, yeah. Find a way to use cheap, infantile, humor to target them and make them feel good about themselves when they may be feeling ashamed at being unemployed and short on cash.
Men are visually oriented, yeah. Use words of one syllable and pictures of sexy young women.
Basically, you’ve just got to grab them where it counts and pamper their poor little egos when they’re having to do the women’s work instead of their own super-important, macho stuff. Oh yes, and don’t forget all that grooming guff so they can aim at getting out of the store and back into their own natural jungle.
PS Well said, Nikki. “if retailers and manufacturers are only now shifting towards a female-focused merchandising strategy, then guys should already be locked and loaded to make the most of their shopping experience, right?”
Here’s one from the Dad wishlist: salespeople who don’t look down their noses when asked a (“stupid”) question Mom would never have dreamt of asking. (Also, considering this is the gender that apparently never stops to ask for directions–please treat the question as close to a life-or-death emergency.)
Mr. Mom has been a growing segment, but is still very small. Retailers need to observe their customers to see what if any change in the primary shopper is occurring. Even if the growth is two to three times the norm, when the economy picks up, there will likely be a decrease.
Like targeting any demo, the opportunity exists, but realizing that opp means creating an offering that actually resonates with the consumer. To that end, the No. 1 thing that brands need to do is find out what’s actually going on. If there’s new news here, it’s that the recession has caused an increase in Mr. Moms. But the Mr. Mom trend itself has been ongoing for several years. If brands are just now finding out about it, then I have to wonder where they’ve been and what they’ve been doing.
Brands need to keep abreast of these demographic changes so they can create offerings that resonate with this demo, as well as any other demo. But that can’t be done without first investing time and research to find out who the consumer is, how they live outside the shopping experience and what they need inside the shopping experience. Learn that and then noodle new ways to reach this consumer. Reaching new demos like Mr. Mom is increasingly important given brands are competing for fewer dollars from recession shoppers.
According to Environics’ 2008 World of the Shopper, 10% of Canadian households have a primary male shopper, 13% of households are single male occupants and in 38% of households males share responsibility for grocery shopping. That’s an awful lot of male shopping–stay at home Dad or not.
39% of all grocery and personal care trips are made by males alone. Most of these are “quick trips.”
There is plenty for retailers and manufacturers to gain by understanding the male shopper. We found that males with kids were the most likely to feel they were “doing good for their family” after completing a stock up trip–more so than females. This is a powerful emotional motivation that represents opportunity for retailers and manufacturers. males are also very indulgent shoppers–there is plenty of incremental opportunity. Forget power tools next to baby wipes and try a family pack of Doritos.
I agree with Andrea Learned’s earlier post. And there is a huge behavioral difference between X & Y males and boomers. And drop the Mr. MOM!