Brace yourselves, Gen Alpha is coming. Children of the often-maligned millennials have been arriving since the launch of the iPad in 2010 and there’ll be two billion of them by 2025.
We conducted a study into their behaviours, goals and attitudes – using qualitative research, semiotic analysis and a quantitative study. The results make for interesting reading and anyone in the business of connecting with families should be excited about the potential of this emerging generation.
The grocery sector has long been beholden to the pester power of kids adding chocolate to the trolley at the checkout last-minute. Yet our latest study shows that Gen Alpha is turning the traditional pester power into something far more meaningful.
Activists in the home
We’ve witnessed the ‘Greta effect’ of children protesting climate change, but they’re also responding to issues like single-use plastics and gender stereotypes. One in five under-nines have already been on a march for a cause they care about, no doubt supported by their millennial parents, half of whom support them speaking out.
Their awareness of the big issues of the day carries into their influence at home, beyond the weekly ‘big shop’ – they’re now influencing a range of household decisions such as choice of car (electric, of course) through to holiday destinations. They’re guided by a strong moral compass, ‘pestering’ for good. Prior research undertaken by Beano for Brands showed that 40% of six to 14-year-olds on Beano.com felt it was their responsibility, rather than their parents and teachers, to save the planet.
Post-stereotype
Equally interesting is Gen Alpha’s sense of self and others. They’ve evolved from a more millennial and binary rejection of ‘pink for girls’ into a post-stereotype mindset, best summed up by the idea ‘I can wear pink and play football’. Fmcg brands take note – their parents support them in this attitude, where six in 10 agree that inclusive product ranges are important. One area to watch is the gap in attitude between parents and Gen Alpha kids. Fifty-eight per cent of kids don’t think their gender matters, yet just a third of their parents feel the same way.
Making it fun
One thing kids haven’t lost is their inclination towards things that surprise and delight (the more mischievous or silly, the better) and technology can play a key part in how kids interact with products. Gen Alpha kids lack a meaningful distinction between ‘physical’ and ‘digital’ and products that cross this divide seamlessly will thrive. Likewise, for those in the health and wellbeing space, we’re seeing a move towards ‘wellness’ as a key part of play – with tech creating gamified experiences to position things like exercise, healthy eating and self-care as fun activities and not the traditional chores they may once have been.
Of course, emerging trends for a demographic don’t exist in a social or cultural vacuum, but the overall message to the industry is clear: these kids are super smart, they know what they want and will actively pursue causes they believe in. Their influence is already being felt, and will only grow. We’d do well to listen.
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