Families First Narrative
Persuading parents and winning elections
Parents are an incredibly important voting bloc. The very identity and experience of parenting is a powerful driver for parents’ day-to-day feelings, beliefs, and decision-making, including their voting decisions.
The Right gets it and has dominated the cultural and political conversation by speaking directly to parents, albeit with divisive rhetoric and culture wars that fail to serve the needs of families. If progressives want to win parent support, we must shift the ground on which we fight, and redefine the conversation to talk to parents about what they really need, who’s blocking that support, and how we’ll deliver for them.
If we do this, we can win the support of parents now – and for years to come – and mobilize a powerful voting bloc to support candidates and policies that will finally serve the needs of families. Learn more about why this narrative works >
Overarching Narrative
We all want to be able to provide, support, and care for our loved ones, especially our children.
Yet today, across America, parents are struggling: they’re worrying about how to pay for rent, groceries, and childcare, how to keep their kids safe, and how to be present for the most precious moments. Too often, parents are left feeling like these struggles are all their fault.
It doesn’t need to be this hard, but some politicians want to distract us from the solutions that would help by intentionally creating conflicts that divide parents – in our schools and online – all to keep themselves in power and protect the profits of the big corporations that fund their campaigns.
It’s time to join together to demand that our leaders reinstate the child tax credit that puts money in parents’ wallets, require Big Tech to make social media platforms safer, fully fund our schools so our children can each their potential, and pass paid family leave so parents can be there when it counts. It’s time to join together to see to it that every child has the care and support they need to thrive.
Messages & Content
Ready-made creative proven to persuade parents on what really matters.
October 24-27, 2022 | October 5-10, 2022 | September 2022 | March-August 2022
October 24-27, 2022
In the waning days of the election cycle, we crafted a set of persuasive ads centered on core family economic issues, as polls continued to show the electorate’s focus on prioritizing cost of living. We aimed to shift the narrative about these economic issues away from inflation and toward lifting up social safety net policies such as the expanded Child Tax Credit and Paid Leave, highlighting who is fighting for these solutions and who is blocking them. In these videos, we most effectively moved parent voters by leveraging an emotional appeal. Learn more about this test >
A Letter to my Younger Self
Why it works
Who it works with
This video leverages an emotional appeal of a mother’s journey through parenting, and uses episodic simulation and in-group care to highlight the ways in which all parents face challenges in raising a child. We tested a version of this video that named Republicans directly versus a version that called out “some politicians” for blocking important policies, and saw that naming Republicans moved vote choice by 7pp more than not doing so.
- All Parents (+10pp)
- Men (+14pp)
- Women (+8pp)
- Parents ages 18-34 (+19pp)
- Parents ages 35-54 (+7pp)
- Black Parents (+17pp)
- Latino Parents (+17pp)
- White Parents (+6pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+13pp)
- Parents with Some College Education (+13pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0-$49k (+16pp)
- Moderate Parents (+11pp)
- Conservative Parents (+9pp)
- Independent Parents (+15pp)
- Urban Parents (+15pp)
- Suburban Parents (+12pp)
We Need Leaders
Why it works
This video uses authentic and relatable storytelling to reframe the economic challenges parents are facing. It triggers loss aversion by pointing to the politicians who took away the expanded Child Tax Credit checks that helped parents struggling during the pandemic. It also articulates a believable motivation that those politicians care more about their positions than American families, helping to drive vote choice toward Democrats.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+3pp)
- Men (+8pp)
- Latino Parents (+11pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $50-$99k (+10pp)
- Suburban Parents (+9pp)
Note: This video does not show backlash on vote choice, but does show backlash when we ask parents which party cares more about families who are struggling to make ends meet. We believe this is because it reminds parents of rising costs and gas prices.
October 5-10, 2022
In this test, we leveraged the groundwork of the Protect our Freedoms coalition to amplify the impact of the Families First Narrative by integrating the value of freedom for families as a core mobilizing concept for parent voters. The results show how compatible and effective this messaging connection can be for a parent-specific audience, while continuing to center the notion of parental love.. In the following three Instagram/TikTok-style videos, we saw statistically significant movement from parents toward support for Democrats on vote choice. Learn more about this test >
Republican Politicians: Standing in my way to Parent
Why it works
Who it works with
This video uses episodic simulation and role playing to demonstrate how the decisions of Republican politicians affect parents’ lives at different recognizable milestones of parenthood. The mom in this video finds her power in voting for leaders who will put her family first so she doesn’t have to continue to struggle.
- All Parents (+6pp)
- Latino Parents (+20pp)
- Black Parents (+15pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+14pp)
- Women/moms (+13pp)
- Parents Ages 18-34 (+12pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0k-$49k (+12pp)
- Parents who Voted Republican in 2020 (+12pp)
- Conservative Parents (+11pp)
- Republican Parents (+9pp)
- Democratic Parents (+9pp)
It Doesn’t Have to be This Hard
Why it works
Who it works with
This video uses episodic simulation to demonstrate the problem/challenge evident in our Families First Narrative – that across America, parents are struggling.
It leans into the core value of freedom when the mom in the video remembers what it was like to have the monthly child checks from the expanded Child Tax Credit, triggering loss aversion, before it clearly names the villain and their motivation. It’s relatable and builds in-group care, while pointing to the systemic solutions we all need for support, like child checks and paid leave.
- All Parents (+6pp)
- Black Parents (+17pp)
- Women/moms (+14pp)
- Parents with some College (+13pp)
- Parents with Household Income between $0k-$49k (+12pp)
- Republican Parents (+12pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+11pp)
- Moderate Parents (+10pp)
- Parents Ages 18-34 (+10pp)
Note: This video does show backlash with Parents with Household Income of $100k+ (-14pp)
In Some Countries
Why it works
Who it works with
This video uses the value of freedom in a conversation between a mom and her high school daughter. The daughter discusses her class’s history lesson on how other countries censor education, juxtaposing that lack of freedom with the culture wars happening in schools across the US today. It highlights the political nature of attacks on education, establishes division between right-wing politicians and what most parents want, and connects the dots between the education culture wars and the freedom we have as parents to make decisions that impact our lives and our kids’ futures.
- All Parents (+5pp)
- Parents Ages 18-34 (+14pp)
- Black Parents (+12pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+11pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0k-$49k (+10pp)
- Women/Moms (+9pp)
- Parents who Voted Republican in 2020 (+9pp)
September 2022
We tested whether Instagram/TikTok-style videos that incorporated key components of our Families First Narrative could persuade parent voters ahead of the 2022 midterm election. In the following three videos, we saw statistically significant movement from parents toward support for Democrats on vote choice. Learn more about this test >
Parents at a School Board Meeting
Why it works
This video dramatizes the Republicans and their strong relationship with corporate donors based on extensive psychographic research showing parents oppose politicians making decisions based on corporate greed. It leverages a common TikTok role-playing style to personify Republicans, clearly distilling their motivation behind pushing culture wars. It also builds upon voters’ distrust of politicians writ large.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+11pp)
- Parents Ages 18-34 (+21pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+21pp)
- Suburban Parents (+18pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0-$49k (+16pp)
- Republican Parents (+14pp)
- Women/mothers (+13pp)
- White Parents (+12pp)
Real Talk: Mom-to-Mom
Why it works
This video leans into the problem/challenge in our Families First Narrative – that across America, parents are struggling. It is a relatable conversation between two moms that builds in-group care, and points to the systemic solutions we all need for support, like paid family and medical leave.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+5pp)
- Republican Parents (+14pp)
- Conservative Parents (+13pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+11pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $50k-$99k (+9pp)
- Men/Fathers (+8pp)
- Suburban Parents (+8pp)
- White Parents (+8pp)
Money-Saving Hacks
Why it works
This video uses humor, a proven neuroscience tactic, to break the ice, as well as episodic simulation to reference relatable scenarios for all parents, before explaining what happened and, importantly, who was to blame for the stoppage of the expanded Child Tax Credit monthly child checks.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+5pp)
- Conservative Parents (+11pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+11pp)
- Republican Parents (+9pp)
- Suburban Parents (+9pp)
- Men/Fathers (+8pp)
- White Parents (+6pp)
March-August 2022
We tested whether Instagram/TikTok-style videos about paid family and medical leave, the expanded child tax credit, and book bans could be politically persuasive with a parent audience. The results were dramatic: across all issues, we saw statistically significant movement from parents toward support for Democrats on vote choice. Learn more about this test >
Child Tax Credit: An Emotional Rollercoaster
Why it works
This video helps viewers vividly picture themselves in a familiar scenario, portrays relatable experiences, and reminds them that family-first solutions like the CTC are achievable because they’ve been achieved before.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+12pp)
- Parents Ages 18-34 (+22pp)
- Parents who identify as Independents (+19pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0-$49k (+18pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+17pp)
- Rural Parents (+16pp)
- Moderate Parents (+16pp)
Alternate Version: Less explicitly partisan >
For messengers who prefer not to explicitly name parties, storytelling that omits references to parties was still effective.
- Works best with: All parents (+5pp); Parents who identify as Independents (+14pp); Parents with a Medium-likelihood to Turnout (+10pp); Moderate Parents (+9pp); Parents Ages 35-54 (+9pp).
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Mom Guilt
Why it works
This video elicits in-group care among moms through compassionate storytelling, spotlighting how systemic failures are too often experienced as personal shortcomings.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+11pp)
- Parents who identify as Independents (+17pp)
- Parents with a Bachelor’s Degree or higher (+16pp)
- Parents age 18-34 (+16pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0-$49k (+15pp)
- Suburban Parents (+14pp)
- Parents who Voted Republican in 2020 (+13pp)
- Mothers/Women Caregivers (+13pp)
- Conservative Parents (+12pp)
Alternate Version: Less explicitly partisan >
For messengers who prefer not to explicitly name parties, storytelling that omits references to parties was still effective.
- Works best with: All Parents (+6pp); Urban Parents (+11pp); Parents who identify as Independents (+11pp); Parents with High School of Less (+10pp), Fathers/Men (+9pp); Parents with a Household Income between $50k-$99k (+9pp)
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Van Tour
Why it works
This video helps viewers imagine a scene or picture themselves in a familiar scenario while also incorporating a bit of humor. We know humor is an effective gateway to engaging persuadable audiences.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+9pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+20pp)
- Parents who did not vote in 2020 (+19pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0-$49k (+14pp)
- Parents who identify as Independents (+13pp)
- Parents age 18-34 (+11pp)
- Republican Parents (+10pp)
- Mothers/Women Caregivers (+10pp)
- Rural Parents (+10pp)
Alternate Version: Less explicitly partisan >
For messengers who prefer not to explicitly name parties, storytelling that omits references to parties was still effective.
- Works best with: All Parents (+3pp); Parents who identify as Independents (+11pp); Moderate Parents (+8pp); Parents age 35-54 (+8pp)
- Note: The alternate version does show directional backlash with Black Parents (-11pp) and Conservative Parents (-6pp)
Child Tax Credit: Playground Small Talk
Why it works
This video leverages an apolitical tone and creates a permission structure for persuadable audiences that expands in-group connection and creates social validation for understanding the political realities of CTC.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+5pp)
- Parents who did not vote in 2020 (+21pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+13pp)
- Parents who identify as Independents (+12pp)
- Parents with a Household Income between $0-$49k (+9pp)
- Moderate Parents (+8pp)
- Rural Parents (+8pp)
Alternate Version: Less explicitly partisan >
For messengers who prefer to not explicitly name parties, storytelling that omits references to parties was still effective.
- Works best with: All Parents (+3pp); Parents who identify as Independents (+9pp); Urban Parents (+9pp); Fathers/Men (+7pp)
Book Bans: Why Aren’t You Listening?
Why it works
In this video, we explicitly named that the recent surge of book bans was the result of Republican politicians pushing political agendas out of line with parent needs. With such a short video, we wanted to limit any inferences the viewer would have to make and wanted to state plainly who is behind this organized effort.
Who it works with
- All Parents (+5pp)
- Parents with High School or Less (+13pp)
- Liberal Parents (+12pp)
- Parents who identify as Independents (+12pp)
- Republican Parents (+7pp)
Contact
We believe in working smarter, not harder! All of our content is available to you, either with the ParentsTogether Action logo or white label. To access, please contact Adam Ukman, Director of Civic Engagement.
Thanks
Thank you to our research partners at Avalanche Insights who helped develop a narrative that resonates with the parent experience, and mobilizes parents and non-parents alike to support policies that will help parents and families in America.
Thank you to our testing partners at Grow Progress who help run rapid message tests to get clear results about which of our content helps persuade more people.