4 Min Read
With Father’s Day approaching, it’s time to talk all things dad – dad jokes, dad hobbies, and even dad shoes.
Want to know what makes dad tick? As Americans look for the perfect Father’s Day gifts, we employed data from QuestBrand by The Harris Poll to uncover 10 brands that grab dads’ attention.
The brand ranking below shows what brands over-index with American fathers (i.e., men with kids in the household under the age of 18) based on brand equity score. What exactly does that mean? Dads value these brands more highly than the general population of US adults.
Top Brands That Resonate With Fathers
QuestBrand. Base: US men in households with children under the age of 18. 10/1/24-3/31/25.
What does brand equity measure?
Brand equity measures that value that consumers place on a brand. This number is in constant flux, and is influenced by many factors, including marketing campaigns, product launches, customer communication, or a company crisis. Brand equity is calculated by taking an average of its four components – brand familiarity, perceived momentum, purchase consideration, and perceived quality.
Not sure what to get for a Father’s Day gift? Dads are looking to unwind through their hobbies.
A Harris Poll conducted by our Thought Leadership & Futures team on behalf of Skylight sheds light on the difficulty of being a parent. On an average day, just the mental load of planning/coordinating family schedules and household tasks occupies 63% of parents’ brain space. And while some may first think of mom when it comes to planning schedules, 76% of dads say they want to divide family planning equally.
Juggling the mental load of parenting with the demands of a career and personal life can be a lot, so it’s no surprise that many of the top Father’s Day brands tap into dads’ favorite hobbies to help them de-stress.
Video game enthusiasts
Dads are turning to gaming brands like Electronic Arts and Twitch to blow off some steam. A Harris Poll found that 61% of men say that they play video games (i.e., on a mobile device, PC, or console) at least once a week, while an additional 36% report watching a video game stream/esports event at least once a week.
Grill masters
Grill and meat enthusiasts boosted Omaha Steaks onto dad’s list of top brands. According to a Harris Poll conducted by our Custom Research team on behalf of Omaha Steaks, 75% of dads agree that there is no better way to spend Father’s Day than grilling with their family. Far from being a chore, more than a third (35%) of Americans agree that grilling is a stress reliever.
lawn care experts
While it may not seem as thrilling as video games or perfectly seared steaks, Lawn Doctor and TruGreen’s appearance on the Father’s Day brand list reflect dads’ passion for lawncare. The American Time Use Survey found that the average American spends roughly 70 hours a year on lawn and garden care, but true lawn enthusiasts are spending much more.
finance fanatics
Three powerhouse financial service brands landed on this Father’s Day brand ranking – Dave, crypto.com, and Robinhood. All three of these financial services brands are digital-first companies, allowing busy Dads to take charge of their family’s financial needs while juggling other priorities. In contrast to more traditional banks, these three companies more strongly prioritize giving consumers convenient, flexible, and affordable options to manage their finances.
While both men and women often contribute to the family financial conversation, men may find diving into the financial world more enjoyable, making this a more popular hobby for dads. A recent Harris Poll conducted by our Harris On Demand team on behalf of AICPA found that men more often than women used positive feelings like “optimistic” (30% men vs 25% women respectively), “positive” (32% vs 21%) and “content” (22% vs 17%) to describe their financial situation over the past 12 months. Conversely, women more often reported negative feelings about their financial situation, such as “cautious” (40% women vs 30% men respectively), “uncertain” (39% vs 32%), and “stressed” (41% vs 30%).
Family Time Away From it all
Beyond personal hobbies, dads are looking at Father’s Day as a time to connect with their families. The same Omaha Steaks study found that 44% of dads wanted quality time with loved ones for Father’s Day. Royal Caribbean’s spot in the brand ranking reflects dad’s craving for rest and relaxation, but it also speaks to his wish to spend meaningful time with family
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