Classic brand communication often fails to reach purchasing decision-makers

The family breakfast together, the perfectly clean laundry, the streak-free shiny floor and the mother as the perfect manager of a spotless household - this is probably an image that many people think of first when the target group of "householders" is mentioned. And it's hardly surprising, because consumer goods advertising in particular has shaped this ideal image on TV for decades - whether it's for laundry detergent, jam or floor cleaners. There are 40 million householders in Germany, including around 25.9 million between the ages of 20 and 59. That's 37 percent of the population and thus an incredibly large and, above all, advertising-relevant target group. After all, householders decide which brands and products end up in the shopping basket - and which stay on the shelf.

Householders are not a homogeneous target group

Researchers at Plan.Net Group took a closer look at the target group and analyzed the nearly 26 million householders using data from the "Best 4 Planning 2014-I" study. It turns out that the target group is much more heterogeneous in terms of values, lifestyle and consumer behavior. "We found in our analysis and a total of five different types of household heads, some of which differ significantly from the classic family manager. Classic brand communication thus often misses a relevant set of purchase decision makers due to the different lifestyles," says Nikolaus Schmitt-Walter, Director Insights at Plan.Net Group.

Two of the segments correspond to the usual cliché: mothers with children (6.29 million) and modern housewives (9.58 million), for whom the children are often already out of the house. What's exciting here is that young mothers are a very digitally savvy target group: 93 percent use the Internet and 72 percent shop online - they are also active users of social networks, where they primarily exchange information with friends and acquaintances.

Two other segments are still about to take the step into family life, but already bear responsibility for their own household: young, working men (1.78 million) and women (2.05 million). The most important difference: even today, young men feel responsible for the household only as long as they live alone. As soon as they start living with a partner, they are no longer the head of the household; then the classic division of roles takes effect.

The digital affinity of young professionals is very pronounced: Almost all of them are online, and three-quarters also use smartphones. Social networks, online video and e-commerce are part of the target group's natural media repertoire. In addition, young men are by far the best equipped with technical devices such as tablets, Internet-enabled smart TVs and game consoles.

Often neglected but not insignificant: single men. 2.7 million men between the ages of 40 and 59 live alone and also have to take care of their household.
How the segments differ in terms of income, attitudes, consumer behavior, and media and Internet use is shown in a Infographic summarized.

Unused potential in communication

But even this brief overview makes it clear that there are sometimes serious differences between the groups in terms of their lifestyles, their consumer behavior and, above all, their media use. Young professionals in particular are a very consumer-friendly and brand-affine target group with many "digital natives" for whom targeted communication planning for FMCG brands away from TV would be extremely worthwhile. Online moving images, social advertising and mobile Internet are still often untapped channels here for brands from the food and consumer goods sector. However, an above-average affinity for online and mobile is already visible among young mothers, which could be used to extend classic campaigns. There is also a lot of untapped potential in digital inserts and brochures, which could be used to enhance the mechanics of offer communication learned over the years with dynamic, interactive content, detailed targeting options, and very efficient media placements.