Understanding the changing British family
Gogglebox’s Michael family from Brighton
How can brands speak to a more tech-savvy and fluid family unit? OMD UK’s Rian Shah uses the findings of a major new research project to find out.
2.4 children families are a thing of the past and the nuclear family is an outdated model. The Future of Families, a major new research project from OMD UK and Time Inc. UK, reveals the changing face of the British family, with 2 in 3 people believing one size no longer fits all.
The study of 4,000 Britons highlights new behaviours, attitudes and values within the family unit, and shows brands how best to target, and help, the modern British family. The research confirmed that family is an idea, not an institution.
Among the key trends identified, the study showed “family” is a more fluid term than ever, consisting of much more than a mum, dad and siblings. 19% of people include friends as part of their family nucleus, while 36% include in-laws and 29% believe pets are part of the family. 50% believe there simply won’t be a stereotypical family structure in the future.
As the definition of family changes, the cost of living remains the foremost financial pressure for 68% of British families, while 31% worry about paying their rent or mortgage each month and 15% about getting on the housing ladder. But more recent financial pressures have triggered the development of broader, more powerful family support networks and changes to typical family roles also suggest a more fluid family concept.
Parents in particular now share more of the day-to-day responsibilities and decision making for the family, showing that the traditional gender roles in the home for mum and dad have expanded. For example, comparing the results of this study with Time Inc. UK’s Origin Lounge figures from 2008, parents are sharing more key decisions regarding shopping for the family (up from 24% to 33%), as well as childcare and upbringing (up from 54% to 67%).
Traditionally, childcare was mum’s responsibility, but grandparents are now stepping into a new family role as child-minders, becoming more integral than ever before and helping to alleviate some of the financial strain. 64% of grandparents are called on to look after their grandchildren in a typical week and 82% of “grandminders” are “more than happy to help”.
Children are also playing an increasingly influential role. With the rise of Generation Rent, identified in OMD UK’s Future of Britain study in 2013 as a demographic of young adults who are unable to leave home as a result of being priced out of the housing market, our research suggests they are increasingly contributing to a mutual flow of family decision making and support.
For example, we found a third of 16-24 year olds act as an emotional support for parents, 36% have advised their parents on a major life decision and the majority in our study had advised parents on purchase decisions in the utilities, automobile and telecommunications sectors, in particular.
But this flow of mutual support through family generations is nothing new for Britain’s ethnic population who have been operating multi-generational household structures for decades. And with a third of the British population estimated to be of ethnic origin by 2050 (The Policy Exchange – A Portrait of Modern Britain, May 2014) we have yet another reason to believe that this way of family life will continue to grow.
Our research also shows that communication within families has been amplified by technology. Even though technology triggers concern for parents, such as sharing personal information (68%) and privacy (67%), 78% instinctively believe that technology is not disruptive in the home and in fact has the power to bring families closer together.
So how can brands speak to this more tech-savvy and fluid family unit?
The research showed that technology has truly infiltrated family units and has affected channels of communication and the time spent together. Whilst TV draws families together to share the same room during key leisure times, the focus is no longer solely on the TV thanks to the omnipresence of smartphones, laptops and tablet devices in the home. Brands need to think more about reaching each member of the family, with multi-screen messaging more important than ever. As such, brands and media agencies need to focus on the living room plan.
This is especially important as we know that the key decision makers in the house are not necessarily the parents any more.
Energy company SSE thought about this effectively, offering customers 48-hour advance ticket release on their event venues. This is a great example of grown-up pester power as SSE leverages young adults to influence the choice of energy provider in the household – something that they might not otherwise be involved in ten years ago.
An increasingly diversified ethnic population in Britain also brings greater texture to our cultural calendar, presenting year-round opportunities to reach a broader spectrum of audiences. O2 have done this well, an example being their sponsorship of the Diwali festivities in Leicester, promoting cheaper calls to India.
As well as identifying, and speaking to, more members of the modern family, brands also need to recognise family pressure points and help them, rather than tell them what to do. Brands need to create solutions; family tickets to attractions shouldn’t be limited to two adults and two children, why can’t single parent families enjoy the savings too? Think about how you can help families make the most of their time together and help them feel in control.
With increasingly complex and fluid modes of living, the modern British family wants to be helped, not told. To achieve real cut-through, brands must recognise and facilitate support networks and help families to help each other.
Rian Shah is managing partner, strategy, at OMD UK