Dads are eagerly embracing the latest tech and marketing innovations, including local mobile offers. Research shows that 7 out of 10 want mobile alerts; 6 out of 10 have taken action on a mobile offer! The latest poll (Wave IV) in the ‘Alert Shopper’ series of research revealed that 58 percent of American dads with smartphones said they had taken action on a promotion or coupon received on their phones, outpacing moms and those without kids.

According to the findings from this study, “Digital Dads” (those with smartphones and kids under 18 in the household) are emerging as a powerful segment for marketers to connect with. Not only are “Mobile Moms” finding ways to save money using their phones; now, Digital Dads are finding real value in checking their phones for offers from brands they like, and are more likely than others to opt-in to location-based offers and share deals with friends.

High-level findings include:

  • The majority of Digital Dads want mobile promotions. 7 out of 10 (69%) dads who have smartphones and don’t already receive mobile alerts say they are at least somewhat interested in receiving them from merchants on their phones (provided it was OPT-IN), while 6 out of 10 mobile moms said the same, as did just over 4 out of 10 (42%) of those without kids in the household.
  • Digital Dads act on offers. Dads are more likely to take action on a mobile offer than moms; 58% of dads surveyed said they had taken action on a promotion or coupon received on their phones, compared to 46% of moms, and just 31% of those without kids in the household.• Digital Dads like to share a deal. Over half (53%) of the Digital Dads who are at least somewhat interested or already receive alerts said they would recommend the store to others, compared to just under half of the moms (48%) and 35% of those without kids in the household.
  • Most Dads find local mobile offers useful. 4 out of 5 Digital Dads and Mobile Moms would find location-based mobile offers at least somewhat useful, with dads having a very slight lead – 81% of dads versus 79% of moms. Parents are significantly more interested in the convenience of local offers than those without kids in the household, of which 55% said that local mobile alerts would be useful.
  • Dads are mad for tablets. 55% of Dads have a tablet, compared to 39% of moms and just 30% of those without kids in the household.