If you’ve walked down a toy aisle recently, you may have experienced a strange sense of déjà vu: Polly Pocket, Tamagotchi, Furby, Pokémon. The ‘90s are back, but they’re not just for kids. They’re for their parents, too. Such nostalgia-based campaigns and resurgences of familiar products represent a shift in audience hierarchy, positioning millennial parents as the primary persuasive target even when children remain the product’s end user. Toys, in particular, offer compelling evidence of this strategy at play (pun intended).
The differentiation between primary and secondary audiences is key in effective marketing communications, marking one step beyond identifying a target audience. Primary audiences represent the main, high-value group of consumers the marketing communications are aimed at reaching and resonating with. They are the buyers. The secondary audience, by contrast, is those with influence over the primary users, but not the ones buying. Because hey still have influence over the primary buyer, effective marketing will seek to reach them as well.
Brands trying to connect with consumers by capitalizing on nostalgia is nothing new–as resurgences of ‘90s and early ‘00s brands like Juicy Couture and Ed Hardy demonstrate. But what is new is that with these examples, those being targeted (millennials) are also the end users. In the case of toys, though, we consider the Millennial parents of the children the primary audience and the Gen Alpha children who will actually be playing with the toys the secondary audience. Here, nostalgia functions to reorient persuasion through memory activation, identity continuity, and lowered perceived risk.
Nostalgia is defined as a “yearning for the past, typically for a period or place with positive associations.” And it is a powerful driver in activating personal memory: it’s easy to remember what it felt like to play with a certain toy, and by association recall related, positive memories from childhood. With this positive association, purchase resistance is lowered—it becomes a much easier decision to buy now.
Additionally, there is a measure of identity continuity in purchasing come-back toys: parents aren’t just buying the product; they’re transferring parts of their own childhood to their children. Unboxing an American Girl doll with your child presents an extension of the time you spent playing with Samantha or Kirsten: You were a Josefina, and now your child is, too.
Finally, familiar, legacy brands feel less risky when it comes to millennials buying for their children. This is true from a safety standpoint, for example looking at Fisher-Price Little People and thinking, “I played with these and turned out fine.” But it also can refer to less risky in that their kids will also enjoy it as they once did. They’ve already given it a try and know it’ll offer hours of fun, for example.
What does this mean for marketers?
Emotional segmentation can be as powerful as demographic segmentation: Connecting with millennials is not a new goal, and marketers are well aware of where and how to reach this segment. They’re very online, they follow and interact with their favorite brands, and they value authenticity. Taking the next step and using these platforms (social media) and practices (emotional connection) could yield amazing results when paired with legacy brands from millennials’ childhoods.
Brands with legacy equity possess a structural advantage in unstable markets. Given the current economic uncertainties and general social climate, there is appeal in something tired-and-true, which legacy brands can capitalize on. Brand recognition is powerful, but when paired with feelings of comfort and familiarity, the results are all the more powerful.
Research points to an important distinction in millennial parents’...parenting, that matters for how to reach them. As Forbes notes, millennial parents are more likely to seek parenting advice online and via social media rather than through traditional sources. So, brands must offer digital convenience and community-driven engagement to reach them. Though one small example, social media offers a powerful approach to reach and resonate with this audience, based on a compelling trait unique to millennials’ use: millennials train algorithms to get what they want in their feed. So brands that want to reach such an audience must create relevant, engaging, and personalized content that aligns with their interests (in this case creating a reminder of positive childhood experiences).
When a parent sees a Polly Pocket or Hot Wheels set, they aren’t evaluating the toy solely on child appeal. They’re evaluating through their personal memory, the toy’s emotional resonance, and cultural familiarity. While children remain the end users of nostalgic toy reboots, the persuasive center of gravity has shifted toward millennial parents as purchasers and, just as importantly, emotional gatekeepers of such purchases.
About the author: Marissa Lemar is a communications professional with 15 years of experience leading teams in marketing and digital communications across the public and private sectors. She is a communications consultant with Deloitte, where she has led an award-winning digital communications team in support of the Defense Health Agency. Her previous professional experience has included providing strategic communications in the human resources, research and development, informational technology, and health care spaces as a Department of Defense civilian and consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton.
Lemar has also served in the U.S. Navy Reserve as a public affairs officer for the past 10 years. Her service has taken her across the globe, including supporting the annual Pacific Partnership mission in Indonesia, exercise Ulchi Freedom Guardian in the Republic of Korea, and a historic port visit in Vietnam. She is currently recalled to active duty to teach English at the United States Naval Academy.
Disclaimer: The views are the author’s alone and do not represent the position of USNA, the U.S. Navy, or Department of Defense.