by Keith Kriegler on December 8, 2009
Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you could shop for a family, like holiday gifts?
With the holidays approaching, we are going to be spending more time with the people we call family. These people make up our inner circle; mom, dad, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles. And, no matter how close you are to your family, together, they make an eclectic bunch.
Although most of us get along with our families, we all have one or two people (hopefully not too many more) in the group who we wonder how they got into the family. While I get along with my family, we certainly have our differences, I think about how we could be raised by the same parents, in the same house, and yet all turn out so differently.
Since I don’t have the answer, I have come to accept, and appreciate, that they are my family, and in times of need and joy, they are there for me. If you’re lucky, they’re the people who tend to be the most forgiving.
While we don’t get a choice as to which mom, dad, or brother we’d like, the people we call family are the ones we get to celebrate the holidays with throughout our lives. Given the nice, comfortable feeling that provides, accepting family ‘as is’ can be a good way to find the joy in the holiday season.
by Keith Kriegler on December 1, 2009
The roles of dads have changed dramatically over the past ten years, and the idea of a ‘traditional’ family doesn’t exist as it once did.
Today, there are many types of dads – step-dad, single dad, stay at home dad, commuter dad, and working dad. As dads, we’re spending a lot of money on our families and especially on our kids. Our children are the one priority where we tend to loosen our wallets the most so we are able to give our kids the things they need and want.
However, many marketers haven’t realized how much spending dads are actually doing these days, and are missing a big opportunity by not talking to us. Very few brands market to dads in a tone and manner that we can relate to, and that’s a missed opportunity for them to create engaging, relevant connections with consumers and increase their market share.
Here are a few examples of places I recently visited and spent money on my family:
• Best Buy and Verizon to look into their family plans
• Costco, Best Buy, and Abt Appliances to look at TV’s
• Grocery stores
• The Gap, Forever XXI, Pink
Research shows that the top leisure activities dads like to do with their kids are playing around the house, playing computer/video games, going to the movies, playground, reading and eating out.
If brands want to capture their share of our wallet, and spending on our kids, then it would be beneficial if they talked to us in ‘dad’ terms. Communicating with us in ways that speak to our feeling of pride, sense of responsibility with fun and humor will get our attention and our dollars.
