TUALATIN, OR, January 09, 2009
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Single parents are a large and growing demographic. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in August, 2007, there were approximately 13.6 million single parents in the United States responsible for raising 21.2 million children. That's up from 7 million single parents in 1990 and 10 million in 2000. At the same time the number of single parents has grown, so has their affluence. The percentage of single parents living below the poverty line is shrinking and both the median income for single parent households and the number of single parent families earning the median income or more is growing. Stronger state and federal child support enforcement, welfare reforms, increased opportunities for women in the workforce, and greater social support for single parent families are changing single parenting for the better. Yet, the single parent demographic is still largely ignored by marketers.
"There is a strong belief that single parents are charity cases, not consumers," reports Clare Bean, co-founder of the popular social website I Heart Single Parents. "Even though the data shows most single parents are gainfully employed, loyal, motivated and time-conscious consumers, most business owners still associate single parenting with poverty. Marketers are missing a growing opportunity to address a large population of key decision makers with money to spend."
Single parents as consumers: Myths and Facts
Myth: Single parents are broke - they're not buying; they're barely getting by!
Fact: Although the media frequently reports on the number of single parent households below the poverty level, the majority of single parent households are not living in poverty. According the U.S. Census Bureau:
• 71.7% of female-headed single parent families and 86.4% of male-headed single parent families were above the poverty level in 2007.
• 25% of female-headed single parent families and 46% of male-headed single parent families were above the median income for all households for in 2007.
• 79% of custodial single mothers and 92% of custodial single fathers are gainful employed. Only 6% of single parents receive cash assistance from the government.
• 58% of male single parents and 49% of female single parents own or are buying their homes.
Fact: Single parents are consumers, especially when it comes to time-savers and spending money on their children.
• Single parents are continually in a time crunch. They have all the same responsibilities as two parent families and only one adult available to get everything done. Caring for the daily needs of the children, the household, and their career requires some creative thinking - and exchanging money for products and services that save time.
• According to American Demographics, affluent single parents spend just as much on their children as affluent married couples, even though for single parents that means spending a larger percentage of their income on their children. At the time of the American Demographics report, affluent single parents had an average income of $47,900 and spent 22% of their earnings, or $10,340, on their children. Affluent couples had an average income of $79,400 and spent 13% of their earnings, or $10,320, on their children.
Some tips for marketing to single parents
• Offer convenience and value. Single parents are very busy and they need products that serve their lifestyle. If you can help them find healthy, reasonably priced, easy options for handling daily chores, food preparation, and entertainment choices, you'll find loyal buyers within this demographic.
• Recognize and respect the unique qualities of their lives. Create messages and graphics that portray a positive, affirming identity for single-parent households. Single parents want to provide a high quality of life for their children. Speak to that desire in ways that work within their hectic daily schedule.
• Create strategic alliances with media outlets and social organizations that appeal to single parents, consider offering single-parent discounts, and look for ways to include children in your service offerings.
"Succeeding as a single parent requires recognizing and setting healthy boundaries about what is most important in life and what can be safely ignored, a high degree of commitment to your family's well-being, and an extraordinary amount of organization and self-confidence," Bean explains. "Companies that speak to these needs in their marketing will be seen as a welcome resource in the lives of single parents."
About I Heart Single Parents
I Heart Single Parents was founded by single Moms Clare Bean and Morgan Siler in February 2008 as a result of their strong desire to change the way society views single parents. From their own experience, Bean and Siler realize that single parents have few resources for being heard and making connections with other single parents, even though they comprise a large part of the world's population. Within months of launching online community I Heart Single Parents, the site had almost 2,000 members and was receiving nearly 200,000 page view per month. Since the launch, I Heart Single Parents has been featured on TV and in online, radio, and print media. Their new print magazine, Single Parent, and Single Parent Night Out events debut in January, 2009.
To learn more about I Heart Single Parents visit http://www.singleparents.com. To schedule an interview with Clare Bean or Morgan Siler, please call Lura Frazey at 503-914-5810 or email lura@lurafrazey.com.
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