Millennials with Kids: Marketing to This Powerful and Surprisingly Different Generation of Parents[em] [/em]

Fromm, coauthor of Marketing to Millennials, and Vidler, founder of marketing research firm Clear Box Ideas, team up to explore the most effective ways marketing can reach the Millennial generation (born between 1977 and 1996) as it moves into parenthood. The authors paint a detailed picture of Millennials, urging readers to let go of erroneous visions of them as "jobless bums" still living at home (one in four is already a parent, they note). Millennials, according to their research, are pragmatists ("Useful is the new cool") who want to actively engage with the products they buy and the companies that make them. Parenthood changes how Millennials behave and consume, and mothers are in charge of most household purchases (so dads are relegated to the epilogue). Savvy marketers and entrepreneurs, the authors write, must recognize that the monolithic American family structure, if it ever existed, is no longer around. Thus, they must plan for more varied family types, not to mention content that stands for more than just a company's bottom line. (The authors cite such companies as Ikea and Chipotle as successful examples.) Fromm and Vidler offer a wide range of practical takeaways and strategies for marketers in this in-depth analysis of the Millennial parenting mind-set. (Aug.)