ll know by now that the American family looks a lot different than it used to. Whether defined by LGBT parents, nonmarried parents or stay-at-home dads, two out of five households today do not fit the traditional mold, notes a new report, "Family Diversity Is the Norm," from YouGov and Johnson & Johnson-owned parenting site BabyCenter.
But exactly what does that mean for brand marketers? Just as the makeup of families has changed, so have the ads targeted to them.
"For brands, the good news is that there's lower risk when stepping into this territory," said Ted Marzilli, CEO of YouGov BrandIndex, noting that 80 percent of parents say they like seeing diverse families in ads. (The report also found that 60 percent of parents say a brand that respects all kinds of families is an important factor in their purchasing decisions.) But, it's not just enough to show diverse families in ads. "You have to be authentic," Marzilli pointed out.