When you get asked ‘who is your hero?’ Do you start to think of film stars and singers? Or maybe authors and artists? No? Many young adults say that their mother is their hero- altogether, ‘awwwww’.
Parenting on Female First
Voxburner, Insight Consultancy, has found that Brits look up to a family member rather than a celebrity.
Mum, Dad or another family member comes significantly ahead of intellectuals with 33% when it comes to modern day role models.
The heroes influence their lives on a daily basis according to 85% of 16-24’s.
They also revealed the true meaning of a hero with 67% saying ‘someone who has an impact on others’ and 46% saying ‘educates others’. Inspirational, dedicated and motivated were the top attributes used to describe a hero or role model.
However, those who do have a famous hero, Nelson Mandela came out on top with 96% agreeing that he is the ‘ultimate hero’.
Bill Gates is also seen as a true hero with 89% of 16-24 year olds stating this along with JK Rowling (87%), Steve Jobs (85%) and Jessica Ennis (84%).
Despite these famous heroes, real people are more likely to influence in an advert. 38% of 16-24s say a real man or women is more likely to influence them in an advert for a branded product, compared to 29% who say a celebrity has more influence.
Negative stories in the press about celebrities do impact young people’s views of famous people, with 96% agreeing that behaviours such as the Luis Suarez biting incident at the World Cup and One Direction’s joint smoking video have a negative impact on their opinion of these celebs.
Commenting on the results, Luke Mitchell, Head of Insights at Voxburner, says: “Famous people are no longer the obvious heroes, instead the people that inspire, lead and motivate are likely to be closer to home. In previous research we have observed a unique and close relationship that many of today’s 16-24s have with their parents and other family members compared to past generations. When the outside world is often uncertain for young people, the home can represent stability and safety and parents today better understand how to support their children. This generation sees the person, not the packaging and everybody - even brands - can earn a place in their hearts if they prove their value.”