As more streaming platforms compete for the subscription dollars of a constant number of families, success is going to come to those that recognise the emotional imperatives of family entertainment their brand credibly delivers, says a study from The Family Room.


This was the key finding of the consumer intelligence firm’s inaugural The Emotional Triggers of Family SVOD Adoption study, conducted in July 2021 among 1,400 parents of kids 2-12 years-old in the US who have subscribed to at least one new streaming video platform in the past year.
The study aimed to identify the key emotional triggers for SVOD usage by the world’s largest SVOD subscriber base: families. The analyst said that similar studies to date had explored the budgetary or content-related aspects of SVOD adoption, but that its study was the first of its kind to dive into the emotional drivers behind family SVOD subscribers in the US.
Based on the premise that consumer decision-making is both rational and emotional, the study claims to fill a missing dimension of previous research, giving SVOD brands a new avenue to drive subscriber growth in today’s brutally competitive market. It has five key findings.
The first of these was a recognition of emotional triggers of SVOD platform adoption: The study found that restoring kid confidence and joy were top drivers of family SVOD brand adoption. Preparing kids for school and serving parent needs were the least important adoption triggers.
Younger Gen Z parents were found to SVOD platforms that reassure their children, whereas older Millennial parents seek SVOD platforms that comfort themselves. Contrary to perceptions, high frequency parent streamers were more likely to prioritise creativity, spontaneity, personal authenticity and family connection in their lives than their more infrequent streaming counterparts.
The study also highlighted emotional drivers of brand selection. Every streamer had a set of emotional perceptions that triggered brand adoption. While parents turned to Netflix for family connection, they turned to Amazon Prime for relaxation and YouTube Premium for their own self-care.
“All of these platforms in our study have excellent kid and family shows, but when it comes to the emotional connections families have with them, they may as well be from different planets said The Family Room CEO George Carey commenting on The Emotional Triggers of Family SVOD Adoption study. “Understanding and leveraging these unique assets will mean the difference between subscriber growth or subscriber loss.”
The study aimed to identify the key emotional triggers for SVOD usage by the world’s largest SVOD subscriber base: families. The analyst said that similar studies to date had explored the budgetary or content-related aspects of SVOD adoption, but that its study was the first of its kind to dive into the emotional drivers behind family SVOD subscribers in the US.
Based on the premise that consumer decision-making is both rational and emotional, the study claims to fill a missing dimension of previous research, giving SVOD brands a new avenue to drive subscriber growth in today’s brutally competitive market. It has five key findings.
The first of these was a recognition of emotional triggers of SVOD platform adoption: The study found that restoring kid confidence and joy were top drivers of family SVOD brand adoption. Preparing kids for school and serving parent needs were the least important adoption triggers.
Younger Gen Z parents were found to SVOD platforms that reassure their children, whereas older Millennial parents seek SVOD platforms that comfort themselves. Contrary to perceptions, high frequency parent streamers were more likely to prioritise creativity, spontaneity, personal authenticity and family connection in their lives than their more infrequent streaming counterparts.
The study also highlighted emotional drivers of brand selection. Every streamer had a set of emotional perceptions that triggered brand adoption. While parents turned to Netflix for family connection, they turned to Amazon Prime for relaxation and YouTube Premium for their own self-care.
“All of these platforms in our study have excellent kid and family shows, but when it comes to the emotional connections families have with them, they may as well be from different planets said The Family Room CEO George Carey commenting on The Emotional Triggers of Family SVOD Adoption study. “Understanding and leveraging these unique assets will mean the difference between subscriber growth or subscriber loss.”