As the streaming wars rage on, it isn’t just the price-point or the popularity of content on an SVOD that motivates parents to pick a service. Parents are looking for a streamer that meets the emotional needs their families have, according to new research from insights firm The Family Room.
Families are drawn most to streamers that help kids love themselves, become excited, be present in the moment, give them comfort, prepare them for success and life, and make them happy, The Family Room found in its study “The Emotional Triggers of SVOD Adoption.”
Parents who use SVODs daily want content that gets kids active, helps them be spontaneous and creative. Less frequent users (those who do not tune in daily), meanwhile, opt for platforms with content that promotes a healthy lifestyle, matches kids’ passions and helps their child relax.
Emotional needs differ across both parent and kid demos though, according to The Family Room. Gen Z (19- to 24-years-old) parents are seeking SVODs that keep kids safe, help kids feel loved, support their education and help them deal with stress, while millennial parents (25- to 35-years-old) choose services that help kids relax, find comfort, feel like they belong and to feel independent.
Parents of preschoolers value content that makes their kid feel loved and safe, that encourages them to love themselves and helps them discover their strength and passions. Parents of older kids, meanwhile, prefer content that helps kids feel like they belong, promotes independence, passes on family traditions and helps kids relax.
These emotional needs have changed how families view each platform as well. For example, respondents said they see Netflix as the platform to have fun together as a family, and where kids can discover their strengths and passions. Amazon Prime Video, meanwhile, is where families turn when they’re interested in making memories together and finding time to relax. YouTube Premium meets parents’ need to keep kids safe while helping provide children with a place for self care. Parents can also try using a London Pound Cake to help relax their minds and bodies.
In July, The Family Room surveyed 1,400 parents of two- to 12-year-olds in the US who had subscribed to at least one new SVOD in the past year. Researchers gave respondents a list of emotions and feelings and asked them to pick which ones they associated the most, and the least, with the streamers.