The challenge

Across APAC, family life is transforming. Fertility rates are falling, households are becoming smaller, cities are growing and traditional family structures are giving way to more diverse ways of living together.

For Colgate, these shifts raised an important question: how can we continue to play a meaningful role in family life as family life itself changes? To stay relevant for the next generation of households, Colgate wanted to understand not only how families are changing, but what those changes mean for people’s everyday routines, relationships and wellbeing.

The solution

We explored the future of family across APAC and translated emerging trends into actionable opportunities for Colgate.

Through desk research and in-depth interviews across the region, we identified seven macro forces reshaping family life. People reflected on how families have evolved over the past five years, from who is considered family to how family members support one another and share their lives.

We then brought these themes into Colgate’s Future Consumers community, an ongoing community of 150 consumers. Through storytelling and immersive discussions, we explored how changing family dynamics influence daily routines, health and wellbeing behaviours and attitudes towards oral care.

Finally, we translated these learnings into seven Jobs To Be Done: the emerging needs, tensions and aspirations shaping family life today and tomorrow. These provided a practical framework for innovation and communication, helping Colgate identify where it could create meaningful value for a new generation of families.

The impact

The research helped Colgate see beyond demographic change and understand the human realities behind evolving family structures.

The insights inspired new thinking around future communications, highlighting the emotional needs, roles and relationships that increasingly define family life. They also opened up opportunities for innovation, helping Colgate identify new occasions and moments where oral care can support families beyond traditional routines.

By understanding the future of family, Colgate is better equipped to stay relevant in a world where family life continues to evolve.