Young Families
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Characteristics:Are busy with their everyday lives; have little time and money to invest in energy projects
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Potential role:Consumers
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Age:25+ years
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Financial status:little money left
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Location:urban and rural areas
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Household size:3 to 6 people
Communication messages
Key messages to reach young families
While many key messages apply to all target groups, there are also some special key messages that can help you get through to young families.
✓ You can be part of an energy community without having to contribute financially.
✓ Participation is not complicated and takes little time.
✓ Create something of value for yourself and your family.
✓ You can improve your children’s future without much effort.
Avoid these messages
→ Statements that put them under pressure and create a bad conscience
→ Unclear details about costs
→ Information that is too complicated to understand and makes the participation process appear time-consuming
About young families
Financial payback versus environmental concerns
The main motivation of young families is to save money and enable a better future for their children. Due to other competing priorities (e.g. childcare, housekeeping), they usually do not have time for additional projects. However, they can be motivated to act if the commitment does not require a lot of time and money and contributes to a better future for their family. It is therefore useful to highlight that participation is not difficult and is possible even with small amounts.
Attitude towards green energy
Young families, in general, are concerned about the environment and aware of the climate crisis. They are either indifferent or positive towards green energy and energy efficiency. This is a great potential to exploit when communicating with them.
Open versus apprehensive towards new technology
Young families are not afraid of new technologies or shy away from them. They are usually up to date with new technologies. However, they do not have much time to deal with intricate technical issues that could give the impression that energy communities are complicated and time-consuming. Information about energy communities and technical details should therefore be short and simple.
Community spirit
Young families usually settle down, build a (family) nest for the years to come and create relationships with those around. Projects like energy communities are ideal for them to connect with other families in their community, which is why this is one of the aspects to be at the forefront in communication campaigns.
Challenges: Possible reasons for not taking part in energy communities/collective actions
→ No time for additional projects besides familiy matters (competing priorities)
→ Money worries
→ Knowledge gap regarding energy communities/collective actions
Touchpoints: How to come into contact with young families
How do I reach young families?
To see how to engage your audience, view our communication activities and white label materials. To inform young families specifically, these actions may help:
→ Social Media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram)
→ Educational games (card games, etc.)
→ Events (e.g. picnic)
Where do I reach young families?
→ Local/regional events
→ Children’s events
→ Children’s playgrounds
→ Family centres
→ Doctor’s offices
→ Maternity centres
→ Clubs (sport, voluntary fire brigade, etc.)
→ Kindergartens
→ Schools
→ Associations
→ Public transport stations (before and after work)
For detailed step-by-step guides on how to get in touch with this target group, see How to reach Consumers.