With Father’s Day just around the corner it’s a good time to consider ways in which to engage this valuable consumer segment and, according to new data released by IAB’s Mobile Center and Millennial Media, mobile is the way to go.
There are 52 million mobile Dads in the U.S. making up a fifth (21%) of the total U.S. mobile audience, found the IAB and Millennial Media. And, while Moms are traditionally thought of as the heaviest users of mobile, Dads spend only a fraction less of their interactive time on mobile – 71% vs. 57%.
In terms of what content Dads are accessing on mobile, they are aligned with the general population with weather and social media the most frequently accessed content. However, where Dads outstrip Moms is in the categories of sport, financial news and technology news. Surprisingly, Dads are also apt to access horoscopes more than Moms, as well as shopping apps and maps.
Almost three in four mobile Dads work full-time and their spending power makes them an important demographic. More than half (58%) have a household income of more than $75,000 per annum, 33% higher than the mobile average income. Furthermore, 37% of mobile Dads make purchases via their mobile device, rising to 45% among Millennial Dads. Overall, Dads are twice as likely to spend over $500 on mobile purchases compared to the average mobile user and Millennial Dads three times more likely.
“Moms get much attention for being heavy mobile users, as they are. But we think that dads deserve greater attention from marketers as well, and not just around Father’s Day,” says Joe Laszlo, Senior Director at IAB and Stephen Jenkins, VP Global Marketing & Communications at Millennial Media in a recent blog post. “Seeking out these big mobile spenders can help ensure that family-oriented marketing campaigns reach both parental partners, and increase their likelihood of having an impact.”
