Original Maternity and Baby Observers
The impact that the young brothers and sisters continue to have on the maternal and baby industry during the extended National Day holiday break is still going strong.
According to data published by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on October 8th, during the National Day holiday period, the number of domestic trips in China reached 756 million, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%; domestic tourists spent a total of 700.817 billion yuan, up by 6.3% year-on-year. Further data released beforehand by Ctrip shows that family travel has become the backbone of the National Day travel period, with “National Day family trips” accounting for more than 30%, and orders for educational travel products increasing by over 40%.
It is worth mentioning that the related research has also found that many family trips are “designated by children.” On platforms such as Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) and Douyin, we can find numerous posts by netizens of their children’s rudimentary travel plans, and those kids, usually no older than their teens, known as “little bros and sis,” have quietly become the main decision-makers for family vacations.
In the words of demographer Mark McCrindle, these children are classified as Generation Alpha, that is, what we often refer to as older children. Data released by Euromonitor International shows that China’s Generation Alpha only falls behind India in size, ranking second globally, and currently represents about 85% of the country’s child population.
Compared to their parents, Generation Alpha has mostly grown up without worries of food and clothing and besides basic education, families are more capable of investing in their children’s vision and interests. In various fields such as painting, music, calligraphy, and sports, there has been a visible increase in skill levels among these ‘little bros and sis’ that are seriously inconsistent with their young age. Phrases like “baby with a pacifier playing the piano and a toddler in diapers practicing martial arts” are no longer rare, and related personalized and diversified consumer demands are also experiencing a boom.
As true digital natives, Generation Alpha is more accustomed and adept at using smart devices or AI tools for leisure, academic improvement, and creativity. A Razorfish survey showed that over 40% of Generation Alpha had used tablets by the age of 6, and by the age of 7, more than half of them had started using video game consoles. These tech-savvy youngsters, enthusiastic about creation, also prefer maternal and baby products that carry labels such as “smart,” “novel,” and “innovative.”
At the same time, thanks to the wide dissemination of scientific parenting concepts, the parents of Generation Alpha are more willing to listen to their children’s thoughts and feelings with an attitude of equality, rather than imposing their own ideas on them. The parent-child relationship in the family is thus more equal and harmonious. Children are no longer just an appendage to their parents but are increasingly involved in family decision-making, and in certain specific areas, they may even “recommend products” to their parents. According to the “2024 Generation Alpha Population Study” report, 95% of children participate in decision-making about matters related to themselves, and 88% of children can influence family spending related to their own needs.
During this process, the decision-making power, particularly in children’s goods consumption, is gradually shifting into the hands of these youngsters. Recognizing the consumption preferences of Generation Alpha and adjusting brand strategies accordingly is especially crucial for the maternal and baby industry, which is increasingly calling for “tapping into the consumption potential of older children.”
From the viewpoint of “Maternal and Baby Industry Observations,” if brands want to take the lead in this “consumption decision-making power transition,” they can roughly gauge their strength from the following three aspects:
Paying attention to the personalized needs of Generation Alpha to iterate products.
For this new generation of children who can’t contain their passion for creation, being able to express and retain their creativity in products will significantly strengthen their brand recognition. Therefore, brands might as well invite Generation Alpha users to participate in product design and development to create innovative products that truly meet their individual needs and preferences.
For instance, in 2021, the British knit design studio Almaborealis introduced a DIY apparel making material package called Puzzleware, where children could put together pieces of fabric like a puzzle, making unique clothes.
On the other hand, smart, trendy, and fun products are also a favorite among Generation Alpha kids. For example, on July 30th, Haivivi, an AI startup founded by a former partner of Tmall Genie, launched an AI toy called BubblePal, which can converse with children or generate stories when hung around the neck of a doll. Earlier in April, the domestic AI emotional companion innovation company Super Kid announced the completion of a new round of angel financing; the company developed a smart chip that can turn any toy into an intelligent one and is reported to have signed contracts with several IP and toy brands.
Creating scenarios that cater to the style preferences of Generation Alpha.
Compared to dry, standard product promotions, brands that can provide children with offline experiences and practical scenarios undoubtedly have an advantage. For example, at the end of 2022, the children’s skincare brand Rabbit Mommy held a “Winter Baby Skincare Event,” inviting skiing kids to apply their main “all-in-one cream for dry, itchy, and red skin” and conducting on-site skin tests, which helped deepen the children’s impression of the Rabbit Mommy brand during their playtime. Additionally, in September of last year, the trendy toy brand POP MART Funland officially opened in Beijing, with the city park designed around popular IP characters like MOLLY and LABUBU, providing a one-stop trendy play experience that meets the needs of maternal and baby families for food, fun, shopping, and greatly enhancing the brand’s influence among Generation Alpha families.
Delving into the generational characteristics of Generation Alpha to increase marketing efficiency.
As a generation that has grown up with mobile internet, graphic communities, short videos, games, and animations have become indispensable parts of life for Generation Alpha. Thus, brands should focus on adjusting and optimizing their marketing placement strategies, giving priority to collaborations with social media platforms, popular games, and hot IPs, to reach their target audience more precisely.
For example, the packaged drinking water giant Nongfu Spring once collaborated with Disney Princess IP in 2023 to launch co-branded baby water products, choosing “Douyin E-Commerce Super Brand Day” as their product launch channel, coupled with an array of interesting gift sets, combining hot IPs and the potential of interest-based e-commerce, quickly making a brand breakthrough. The maternal and baby care brand RunBen reached out to the popular children’s social game “Egg Party,” launching a new series of plant essential oil products (licensed by Egg Party IP) in April this year, with sales exceeding one million boxes within just 60 days of launch, successfully breaking into new markets.
From the rapid expansion of the past to today’s stock competition, the maternal and baby industry is experiencing an inevitable transformation pain. As the decision-making power in maternal and baby consumption gradually shifts to the children themselves, iterating products and innovating business concepts around the individual needs of “little bros and sis” may become a mandatory course for every maternal and baby enterprise seeking a breakthrough.
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