Activating the Back-to-School Boom: Targeting Parents Ready to Spend
About 70 million Americans are parents of school-aged kids (ages 6-17), making them a significant demographic for marketers to target during the back-to-school season. According to MRI-Simmons’ Trending Topics Study, Q3 2024, 61% of these parents plan to do more back-to-school shopping this year compared to last year, revealing the potential for substantial increased sales. There is a heightened readiness to spend, especially among dads, who are 35% more likely than moms to plan increased shopping. This period is crucial for retailers and brands, as parents are actively seeking products that will set their children up for success in the new school year. Tapping into this eager and ready-to-spend audience can yield impressive results.
Parents of school-aged kids represent a prime activation target for several reasons. First, 83% of these parents believe it’s important to buy the back-to-school products that their child wants. This indicates a strong willingness to spend on items that meet their children’s preferences, providing an opportunity for brands to highlight popular and trendy products. Moreover, 79% are willing to spend extra to get what their child needs for school, although this is down 5 points from last year. This willingness to invest in quality products underscores the importance of showcasing the value and benefits of your offerings.
Seasonal sales events play a crucial role in back-to-school shopping, with 81% of parents planning their purchases around these events. This behavior underscores the importance of timing in marketing campaigns. 74% of parents plan to finish their back-to-school shopping earlier than normal this year, with dads being 20% more likely than moms to do so. This early shopping trend suggests that advertisers should have already started their campaigns well in advance to capture this proactive audience.
The shift towards online shopping is another key factor for marketers to consider. 69% of parents prefer to shop online for back-to-school items, with this preference rising to 73% among parents of younger kids (ages 6-11). Dads are 18% more likely than moms to prefer online shopping, highlighting the need for digital marketing strategies that cater to this demographic. Additionally, 78% of parents are willing to switch to a store that provides wish lists of necessary items from their child’s school, indicating that convenience and tailored shopping experiences are highly valued.
Spending patterns also reveal valuable insights for marketers. In the past six months, parents of school-aged kids spent an average of $239 on children’s clothing and $118 on children’s shoes. Although these figures are slightly down from last year, they represent a substantial market. Furthermore, parents are 51% more likely than Americans who don’t have 6-17-year-olds to be influenced by a celebrity to buy a product and 47% more likely to connect with brands on social media. These tendencies highlight the effectiveness of influencer marketing and social media engagement. This audience is also 38% more likely to change brands for the sake of variety and prefer products their friends approve of, making them a dynamic and responsive audience for targeted marketing campaigns.
In summary, the back-to-school season presents a golden opportunity for advertisers to target parents of young children. With their willingness to spend, preference for online shopping, and responsiveness to influencer marketing, this demographic is ripe for targeted advertising campaigns. By understanding and leveraging these insights, marketers can effectively reach and engage parents, driving sales and brand loyalty during this critical shopping period.
Through MRI-Simmons' activation solution, ACT, marketers can leverage trusted and nationally representative data to target and reach parents planning to shop more this back-to-school season. Curate your audience with over 60,000 consumer elements: 1000+ attitudes and opinions, 6500+ brands in 1000+ product categories; and 90+ proprietary segments. Then, activate your audiences via the DMP, DSP, SSP, MVPD, or programmer of your choice.
Want to learn more about back-to-school trends? MRI-Simmons’ quarterly Trending Topics Study provides some of the most accurate data available on how American consumers feel about key “hot” topics, what’s important to them, and how to reach them.
Contact us to learn more.
