Daddy Issues: How Brands Are Working To Earn Dad's Love

As the old saying goes, “Father knows best,” but who knows father best? In an increasingly saturated marketplace, brands are constantly looking for a competitive edge to earn dad’s attention. Father’s Day falls on June 15^th this year and brands from Fruit of the Loom, to Omaha Steaks, and even NASCAR are revving up their marketing to dads. SportClips takes a full-court press approach to their marketing to dads. The concept itself is geared to the male demographic, and they reinforce their dad-focused messaging both inside the store and with campaigns on social media. “We’re family friendly, which appeals to dads who want to bring their kids along with them to get haircuts – either to save time on a busy day, or as a bonding experience,” said Martha England, vice president of marketing for SportClips. “Many of our clients and potential clients are dads, so Father’s Day is an important day for us! Leading up to Father’s Day, SportClips always hosts a fun, online giveaway nationally. Right now, we have “Big Biff Brady, All-Star Dad” giving out humorous food-for-thought, as only a pro-dad could, and the chance to share your own knowledge and win prizes! At the local level, many of our stores provide special offers around Father’s Day and connect with potential clients who are dads, as well as their kids, through supporting schools and youth athletic programs, Boy Scouts, and other organizations.” The most effective way to communicate with dads may simply be to actually be a dad yourself. That validation is what Hal Zabrin, owner of the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition in Arlington Heights, Illinois, thinks has been the secret to his store’s success. “We have a lot of dads that shop at our Max Muscle Sports Nutrition store in Arlington Heights,” Zabrin said. “I think a big reason for that is that I am a dad of three athletes in the area where our store is located and the dads come to me for nutritional advice. I am a Certified Nutrition Coach and I work out. I am in pretty decent shape for a 56 year old. I am often asked how I keep fit and what my diet is like as well as what supplements I am taking.” One of the biggest takeaways from this year’s Dad 2.0 Summit in February was that the era of the “imbecile dad” is behind us and millennial fathers are making important decisions about the brands they choose to support. As this new generation of fathers continues to grow along with the avenues available to marketers, the effort to gain dad’s love will only increase as well.