How does becoming a Dad affect your haircare regime?

Becoming a parent is a major life change and this transition is very much reflected in young fathers’ personal care habits, the products they buy and the reasons behind their choices. But a lot of the stereotypes around settling down and becoming less engaged in personal care are untrue.

Investing Time and Money

Young dads in the “starting a family” life stage are noticeably more involved in their personal care routines when compared to the total male population in the UK. They’re 13% more likely to be using a large number of different personal care categories on a weekly basis. This engagement is also evidenced by their willingness to invest time and money on their personal care routines, and they’re 68% more likely to spend a lot* on self-care. This rings particularly true in the haircare category, with young fathers 31% more likely to spend the time to get their hair right. Perhaps it’s not so difficult to choose a present for next Fathers’ Day after all!

Savvy Dads

As well as using more personal care products, young fathers are also increasingly savvy about the personal care category, being 41% more likely to buy the latest brands and products. Given their knowledge and desire to keep up appearances, they really value the specific benefits of a product, being almost 3 times more likely to choose a product for its benefits than the average male.

Winning with Word of Mouth

Given their inclination to buy the latest brands and products, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this group is less brand loyal, with loyalty being 25% less important as a reason for purchase than it is for men overall. This has declined recently, and quality has overtaken brand loyalty as a purchase driver for this group over the last 4 years. Although this presents a risk for established brands, one strategy to win with this valuable demographic is through strong and impactful consumer reviews. With 41% of young fathers using consumer reviews for personal care recommendations, it is their primary source of information, ahead of brand websites and social media.

It's important not to underestimate the engagement and purchasing power of young dads. They spend £280 million annually on the total toiletries category, and their spend is growing faster than the wider market at 3.3% year on year. Usage data can help you understand them further and create a compelling approach to win their spend, and that of and other life stages.

*By their own definition – question asked whether they “spend lots on beauty products”

All data 12 m/e March 2019