The Pandemic Baby Bust and What It Means for Brands

Written By

Coyne Public Relations, LLC

This insight post is a summary of the original blog post authored by Susan Murphy of Coyne PR. View the original post: The Pandemic Baby Bust and What It Means for Brands.

When the pandemic hit the United States in March 2020, a lot of people were quick to speculate that we would see a baby boom. But the data has told a different story.  

In December 2020, economists estimated a major decline of up to 300,000 fewer births this year, and health departments in more than two dozen states provided records showing a 7% drop in births nine months after the first lockdown began. A recently released report from the CDC shows the U.S. birth rate fell 4% last year, the largest single-year decrease in nearly 50 years.  

Our partners at Coyne PR provide insight on what the declining birth rate could mean for industries and brands that are reliant on new and expectant parents.  

According to The NPD Group, the dollar sales for the U.S. juvenile products industry increased 6.5% in 2020 from 2019 – it doesn’t look like 2021 will follow the same course. In fact, Mintel’s March 2021 Baby Durables Report notes that the pandemic continues to delay consumers from starting families, a milestone many young couples were already putting off. 

With the pool of target consumers getting smaller, companies are facing the issue of identifying and communicating with this audience in the midst of very challenging circumstances. Additionally, expectant and new parents have all the resources they need right at the their fingertips – leading to overly-informed purchasing decisions.  

Brands need to capitalize on this and make sure they are reaching their target consumers on the social platforms and media outlets where they spend most of their time, and as early as possible in the parenting journey. Using everything from aggressive media outreach to micro-influencer campaigns, clients rely on marketers to find new ways to connect with media and brainstorm relevant story angles brought on by the pandemic.  

Check out some of the ways our partners at Coyne PR were able to alter their plans to continue providing exceptional results for clients: 

Virtual Desksides 

In response to one of the industry’s largest trade shows of the year being canceled, Coyne PR found new ways to communicate with media through virtual desksides. Not only were these a great way to show off new products, they proved to be an important way to reconnect with media who were also missing the face-to-face interaction that only a trade show can provide. Although nothing can compare to in-person events, by offering a combination of exclusive content and product sneak peeks, they were still able to garner stellar results and make lasting impressions. 

Pandemic Pitch Angles 

When the pandemic first reared its ugly head, the media shifted to reporting on more stories that could provide families with tips and strategies for dealing with quarantine. In response, Coyne PR refocused their pitching efforts for a number of clients to emphasize how they could be a resource for parents and young families as they coped with what was being called the “new normal.” The goodwill that was established, though it may not have pointed directly to a product, went a long way to develop positive brand sentiment. 

Get more information on this topic and learn how Coyne PR leveraged influencer campaigns for their clients in the full blog post, The Pandemic Baby Bust and What It Means for Brands. 

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Founded in 1991, Coyne PR has grown to become one of the Top 20 Independent PR Firms in the United States with a reputation for hard work and a solid dedication to client service. Their integrated approach and capabilities to effectively convey messages across earned, shared, paid and owned media for their clients have garnered more than 1,000 industry awards. Their client roster includes many of the most respected companies in the world, such as Hard Rock International, Shell Oil, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), Pfizer, VTech and Beam Suntory, to name a few.