Dads are influencing and making more purchasing decisions than ever before, no more so than when it comes to choosing and buying a car seat. We caught up with dads net Founder, Al Ferguson and asked him what role men/dads in the decision-making process – and why it’s so important:

We know from Dadsnet that (after prams and travel systems) car seats are the second most important products for dads taking the lead when it comes to choosing which one to buy. 

Why? It comes down to 2 things: safety & practicality. Where safety is concerned, dads want to know all the features the manufacturer has considered. And then practicality, they ask the questions about weight, how easy it is to install and uninstall… How easy is it to buckle their baby in?

It’s the one product where the price becomes less significant.

What about the influence dads have on decisions about car seat safety in general?

Safety is paramount. Often we speak to dads who have spent time researching about best practice and answering all the questions and issues that you might not necessarily be aware of as a new parent – for example, wearing a coat whilst in the car seat and rearward facing benefits etc.

How can brands and retailers make car seat purchasing easier?

Education is so important for new parents. But it needs to be education that’s presented in an engaging way – and easily digestible. It’s also a crowded market – so defining what is going to make you stand out is critical. All car seats have to pass the same safety tests ultimately, so often it’s around delivery of your message that will set you apart.

Do you think parents are sufficiently well informed about the changes to car seat safety regulations (R129)?

No – not when presented as regulations with all the language surrounding it. This is why education has to be delivered in a way that’s understandable for the masses. Even use of the word ‘regulations’ for example, is proven to make people switch off. We have to be more creative about how we deliver the message, whilst ensuring that the message is loud and clear.

Tell us about the growth of dadsnet and your plans for the future.

Since Covid hit, Dadsnet has accelerated its growth. Our team is now 10 strong – and growing. We’re creating more content than ever before and the quality of what we offer in terms of reaching millions of UK parents with high quality, meaningful and impactful content, we think, is better than every other media owner in the UK.

Our plans are to simply continue on this trajectory whilst bringing in new content avenues offering further scope for brands to reach our audience. For example, our ‘How To Be A Dad’ brand is growing with big plans to make this the go-to resource for new dads (and mums) across the UK.

What impact and influence do the dadsnet awards [see below] have on parents making important purchasing choices for their new family?

The Dadsnet awards provide brands in the nursery industry the opportunity to simply, cheaply and immediately tell their customers and potential customers that dads matter to them. That they value dads and their opinions.

We would go as far as saying that it’s critical for every brand in this industry to at some point ensure that they’re marketing to dads, even in a small way because we know with certainty that dads are purchasing, influencing decisions and involved more than ever before.

Contact details for brands to find out more about dadsnet: 

Website: www.dadsnet.group
Email address: al@dadsnet.com
Facebook: @thedadsnet
Twitter: @thedadsnet
Instagram: @thedadsnet