Like everyone who’s in the industry in one capacity or another, here at Sunshinegun we’d like to connect with Gen Alpha and their parents in a meaningful way. So getting a better understanding of how this tech-savvy generation might be influencing their parents (and vice versa) seemed like a good idea.
Laura Fernandes, director of Design Thinking at Sunshinegun
Looking back, some of our earliest experiences with brands happened while we were doing things with family. Like having birthday dinners at favourite restaurants, tagging along on shopping trips, or helping unpack groceries. Those encounters would’ve informed our perceptions of the brands we interacted with back then, and helped shape our loyalties – long before media exposure or independence broadened our horizons.
Gen Alpha is probably having a similar experience, but with an obvious difference: a world where digital interaction and brand engagement are woven into everyday life is the only one they’ve ever known. Also, their immersion in the brands is happening a lot earlier, and a lot more often.
Which got us wondering how things are actually playing out.
The millennial effect
We started with a look into how millennials approach parenting – and the word “intentionality” popped up a lot; safety, mental wellbeing and sustainability are major priorities for this demographic.
So they’re naturally gravitating toward brands that align with those values. Take Uber’s "Uber Teen" offering, which allows parents to monitor their child’s safety and give them a sense of independence at the same time. Judging by its success, the service is building a lot of trust with parents; and it’s hard to imagine it not fostering early brand loyalty among Gen Alpha too.
Trust appeal
If Uber is managing to build credibility through safety, platforms like YouTube are doing something similar by combining safety with educational value.
And according to the team over at Beano Brain, these qualities are central to capturing the loyalty of Gen Alpha and their families. Their 2024 study showed that YouTube is the most popular platform among Gen Alpha in the UK, with its reputation for safety and educational content making it a trusted resource for parents.
“YouTube,” notes the study, “is seen as the platform where kids find experts and learn from them, or find help with their homework. As a result of its safe reputation, educational content and extensive library, YouTube has managed to gain something every brand covets: parental approval.”
The numbers
If the clear overlap between what parents value in brands and what their kids consider important wasn’t a huge surprise for us, the shift in financial dynamics at home was.
GoHenry’s latest Youth Economy Report revealed that, over the past year, Gen Alpha kids and teens earned £193m (a 52% increase), spent £92m, and saved £20.5m (a 36% increase). Significantly, 26% of household spending is now influenced by children, with 15% of parents saying their kids impact 41 to 60% of their household budget.
More than that, over two thirds (67%) of parents said their children regularly introduce them to new products and services, with 69% going on to buy them. In fact, Gen Alpha’s financial influence at home has earned them the moniker of “family finfluencers”.
In other words, parents continue to shape their kids’ brand experiences early on, but Gen Alpha is shaping theirs more and more through new discoveries. And this clout is only going to increase. Mark McCrindle, the Australian researcher who coined the term “Generation Alpha”, puts it like this: “This generation [Gen Alpha] is on track to become the largest generation in history, with the greatest spending power in history, too.”
Opportunities for authentic creativity
How effectively brands connect with the intergenerational values of safety, education and creativity depends on a few factors. Experts say “authenticity” is a big one, and it comes down to this: “Marketing to this new generation depends intrinsically on a strategy of belief. This means that to appeal to them, you have to not only showcase your brand’s values but also embody them. Pandering, for lack of a better term, will get you nowhere.” Reference: Ehlers, K. (2023, March 14). Marketing to the newest generation: How to reach Gen Alpha. Forbes.
Now for brands like Uber and YouTube, safety and education are baked into their offerings. If their authenticity in these areas feels natural, it’s because it is. For others though, connections to these values can feel a bit tenuous.
But maybe this is where creativity can play an equalising role. While not every brand can authentically champion safety or education, every brand’s a creation to begin with. And that means they all have the potential to innovate, inspire, and connect through creativity.
With that as a focus, it’s exciting to imagine how brands might carve out their space in the evolving family dynamic. What new, meaningful ways can we use to engage parents and children, to create experiences that feel personal, relevant, and lasting? Because as Generation Alpha’s influence continues to grow, innovation and originality may well be the most enduring ways to build genuine connections and remain truly memorable.
