Secrets of dual-income, no kids CX
We weren’t DINKS for very long. My wife and I knew from the start that we wanted children, and within two years after we were married she was pregnant with our first.
Even during that time, though, we never publicly referred to ourselves as a dual-income, no kids (DINK) home.
For today’s young couples, however, describing yourself as a DINK has not only become commonplace, but almost a badge of honour.
A recent story in the Wall Street Journal noted how the “DINK lifestyle” is mentioned with increasing frequency on social media, along with a certain pride in being part of it.
A psychology professor interviewed in the WSJ article put it this way:
“It has been for a very long time a sort of stigmatized category . . . There are all sorts of stereotypes—things like…they’re self-absorbed, they have no stake in the future, they’re too focused on their career.”
Now the DINKS – as well as variations like DINKS with a dog (DINKWADs) and single-income, no kids (SINKS) – are repositioning themselves. Many seem to relish being free of child rearing responsibilities, additional financial burdens and the ability to prioritize their self-care.
Beyond the busy working mother persona
The great DINK revisioning is significant from a customer experience (CX) standpoint when you think about the way many brands have approached their target audience up until now.
For example, I’ve sat through multiple presentations where the most coveted brand persona is essentially a working mother. This is someone who can be interested in a variety of products, has deep influence on the spending of several people and who may become loyal under the right circumstances.
In other cases I’ve seen CX strategies based largely around demographic age groups. So many companies want to be more customer centric towards younger cohorts like Gen Z, while some focus on Millennials who may now be old enough to have more income at their disposal.
What the DINKs want
As DINKs begin to self-identify as such – and celebrate their persona – it will send a signal to brands about how they expect to be approached and treated throughout the customer journey.
You shouldn’t be aiming irrelevant product offers and discounts at DINKs who will never be in the market for a kids’ waterpark vacation.
Online forms and other data collection mechanisms should not force DINKs to continually reinforce the fact that it’s just the two of them.
Some DINKs may come to expect special seating in restaurants, a more streamlined check-in process at hotels and product selections that are more focused on their well-being and perhaps invitations to experiences that be done more spontaneously than when you have to hire a babysitter for the night.
As brands become more accustomed to developing CX with DINKs in mind, they may discover differences in what satisfies them, their propensity to become advocates and even their use of online and offline channels.
If you don’t know how many DINKs are currently in your customer database, you may soon have a problem. If you aren’t segmenting DINKs, you may be missing out on increased spending and repeat business.
The choices customers make in shaping their lives has a big impact on the way they engage with brands. DINKs are making a very deliberate choice that simply cannot be ignored, and demands CX designed with them in mind.
