• by Holly Pavlika , Columnist, August 7, 2015

Did you know that one in four Millennials is a parent and in the next 10 to 15 years, Millennial women will give birth to babies at a rate of 10,000 per day? Incredible when you consider that each year there are approximately 4,000 first-time moms in the U.S. alone. 

Millennials are not changing their lifestyles to fit parenthood; they are changing parenthood to fit their lifestyle. Millennials’ defining traits don’t disappear when they become parents. They aren’t giving up smartphones or shunning adventure. They are still using technology, but now they are using technology to simplify parenthood’s challenges. And their propensity to support brands and companies who are open and transparent about their corporate values or philanthropic endeavors remains steadfast, however, they refocus what they buy on brands supporting local cause marketing.

These are just a few of the great insights and takeaways from a new book, Millennials With Kids–Marketing to this powerful and surprisingly different generation of parents,” by Jeff Fromm, president of FutureCast and Marissa Vidler, founder of Clear Box Insights. It’s a must-read for any brand looking to connect with Millennial parents. 

So what do brands need to know about the Millennial parent?
1. Millennial parents are people, too. They aren’t all about diapers and baby products.

2. Millennials put more importance on being a good parent (52%) than on a successful marriage. They are questioning whether marriage has anything to do with children. 

3. Messaging to mom is no longer messaging to the homemaker. Millennials aren’t just parents.

4. Millennials are growing up and bringing with them old-fashioned pragmatism. 

5. They expect fairness among genders, races, ages and other demographic categories. 

6. They expect fairness with brand messages; specifically, authenticity and transparency

7. Millennial parents will instill an unprecedented sense of individual tolerance and social responsibility on their children.

8. Millennial parents will support brands that reflect their values and that think beyond profits.

9. They will require brands to solve problems.

10. They will expand the idea of the “participation economy.”

Millennials often think about products through the mindset “I want what I want, when I want it and how I want it.”

Millennials love convenience. They have high expectations for easy access to information. If they are money-challenged, for example, these tech adopters will focus on finding tools that simplify their lives. Simply put: Millennials are looking for brands that make their lives better, faster and simpler.

Useful is the new cool. 

Millennial parents will pay for help to manage their lives. In fact, if they had the time they would create the management platforms they need themselves. According to Fromm and Vidler, brands need to shift away from image, ethereal, soft claims and “brand narratives.” Millennial parents and, particularly, moms want to know your purpose, not just what you sell. They wants brands that are transparent, embrace conspicuous capitalism and have disruptive schemas that are inherently more shareworthy. And Millennial parents don’t want to just buy your product; they want to be a part of it.