Generation Alpha, the people born after 2010, is expect to be the largest generation ever. And will also have more impact than all previous generations. “It is not only an important target group because of its size (2 billion people in 2025), but especially because their parents are millennials,” says Joeri Van den Bergh, NextGen expert at Human8.
Together with Transfer, Human8 conduct research into Alphas in the Netherlands and Belgium. No less than 1200 children between the ages of 4 and 14 were involv. The research not only show that these Alpha children have 5 specific characteristics, but also that the parenting style of their parents (mainly millennials) plays a crucial role.
The Parenting Style of Millennials
Generation X was known for its so-call free range parenting . This involves giving children a lot of individual time and independence. Millennials are different. Joeri: “They do much more in consultation with their children, are more open to their personal development and therefore allow more overseas data influence on decisions in family life. As a result, Gen Alpha has a greater influence on family purchases than previous generations. Not only on children’s products, such as toys or clothing, but also on family purchases such as cars, holidays and electronics.”
5 Traits to Reach Generation Alpha
The research by Human8 and Transfer also show that Generation Alpha has the following characteristics:
#1 Digital natives: it is attribut to multiple generations, but generation Alpha really grew up with the iPad in their hands. 35% even have their own tablet, 27% their own laptop and 50% their own phone. 9 out of 10 say they like gaming, 4 out of 10 of the 7+’ers say they play Roblox, Minecraft or Fortnite weekly. Technology and gaming are therefore really part of the lifestyle, something that brands often pay too little attention to.
#3 Mia use: almost every respondent indicat Las palabras clave de vídeo no solo son adecuadas that they us YouTube weekly, slightly more than gaming. Advertisements on buying house b YouTube and on TV are important sources of inspiration to get to know products, for example for Christmas or Sinterklaas. In addition, 40% of 12 to 14 year olds say that they use e-commerce sites to ask their parents for products. Generation Alpha knows how to find these sites.