December 19, 2022

Voice Natives and Decision Makers - Gen Alpha is Here!

by Deepika P Das
Manager of Research & Insights, Audacy

Make way for Gen Alpha, the generation of children born between 2010 and 2025. Touted as becoming the most educated and informed, and more culturally diverse generation, many of this generation will live to see the next century! Quite literally, the future is here!

The Voice Natives Are Here!

Being born in a digital world that’s seeing more rapid advancements, Gen Alpha has been using ‘devices’ right from the time they were born. Every aspect of their lives – rest, education, play or entertainment involves tech. That’s why Gen Alpha is one of the most comfortable around responsive technology. In fact, a step ahead. While the millennials adapted to touch-screens, Gen Alpha is born into voice-recognition. Yes, the voice natives are here!

There might be worries about decreased attention span among Gen Alpha due to their habituation with screens, the one thing that holds their attention is Audio. According to our latest survey¹, among Gen Alpha parents who use smart speakers regularly every week,

Nine in ten (90%) indicate that their children are very attentive when they listen to content on smart speakers.

In addition to being attentive, the kids are now voice commanders.

Eight in 10 (79%) feel their kids are more comfortable giving voice commands to smart speaker technology than they themselves would ever be.

Parents are All In

With such an increased acceptance, smart speakers are the new parenting hack.

More than one-third (35%) indicate they rely on smart speakers daily for parenting.
One-third (34%) indicate they use their smart speaker together with their children.

And they are intent on going the extra mile. Gen Alpha, children of the Millennials, is considered as the most materially endowed generation, and that’s because their parents are 19% more likely than any typical parent to ‘think that it is good for parents to provide children with more things than they ever had’²

Guess Who’s Shopping!

4-in-10 Gen Alpha parents find it hard to resist children’s requests for non-essential purchases.
They are 32% more likely than any typical parent to agree that their children have a significant impact on the brand they choose.²

Gen Alpha kids’ request is the top influencing factor in creating parents’ holiday shopping lists (58%), especially that of moms’ (68%).¹

Decision Makers in Training

Gen Alpha are so well-informed that they are making their own purchases.

7-in-10 Gen Alpha parents let their children make their own decisions when ordering at a restaurant²
1-in-5 are shopping on their own using smart speakers¹

The key takeaway for brands and marketers here is to know that Audio is an important pathway to parents and family time. Parents are highly engaged with Audio when they’re doing joint activities with their kids, such as when they’re on their way to school or activities, or when they’re at home doing homework or relaxing, while listening to the smart speaker together. Audio enables authentic connections between brands and families with Gen Alpha kids, giving brands access to the key moments when families are discovering new information, having joint experiences, and when kids are gently influencing (or outright begging) for products that influence their purchase decisions!

Want to talk more about reaching your target audience?

Let´s Talk

SOURCES

¹ Audacy Gen Alpha Survey, Ask Suzy, n=818 parents of A0-12 year old children, November 11-13 2022
²2022 Fall MRI USA, Parent of child currently living with respondent AND Age of any child 0-11 years; Base: Any parent of an adult or child living in or out of home