DINKs (double income, no kids) are couples without children where both partners work, often perceived as well-off and targeted by luxury advertisers. DINKYs (dual income, no kids yet) are those not yet ready for children. Same-sex couples may also be included in marketing strategies. However, not all childless couples are wealthy, and some may struggle financially. Different life goals can create problems, and some couples cannot have children, while others choose not to. Marketing strategies may not be equally effective for all childless couples.
Couples without children, and in which both partners work, can be indicated by the acronym DINK or DINKs in plural form. DINKs stands for double or double income, no children. A related term is DINKY, which can be interpreted as dual income, no kids yet. The term came into use during the 1980s and DINKs were thought of as a subset of yuppies, generally perceived as well-off, with more money to spend than two-parent or dual-income families.
There are many couples where both people work and where the couple has no children. This does not always mean wealth or well-being. A couple doing low-paying jobs may barely be able to make it on combined wages. DINKs are often thought of as separate and usually represent the well-educated and higher earning people who have chosen not to procreate, may not be able to have children, or are simply not ready for children yet.
Indeed, a major concern for many of these couples is when it seems financially appropriate to have children and what will happen if they do. Will some income be lost, can a luxurious lifestyle be maintained, and will both members of the couple continue to work? These concerns may matter less if one member of the couple has a very high income, freeing up the other person to stay home with the children. Alternatively, a high income paired with significant savings may mean that children won’t significantly change their financial prospects, whether a parent stays home with the children or continues to work.
From an economic point of view, DINKs are often considered marketing gold. When advertisers create ads for luxury items or services, they often try to get the attention of couples in this economic group, who are thought to have more disposable income. Additionally, investment agencies and banks can turn to these dual income partners because they have more money to save or invest as well as spend.
A group not previously considered in marketing strategies for DINKs includes same-sex couples. While it is an overgeneralization to say that no same-sex couple has children, there may be more chances that they do not. Given this, some marketing companies now try to include dual-income same-sex couples in their marketing and advertising strategies, even though doing so could be counterproductive when marketing to straight couples at the same time.
There are many stereotypes and generalizations about this group of people. For example, some believe that marriages of childless working partners are happier because there are no children. This isn’t always the case, although having children can certainly add to stress levels in marriages. There can also be disparity when one member of a couple wants children while the other does not. Different life goals can create just as difficult problems as those created when a couple has children.
Furthermore, marketing strategies towards same-sex couples can be totally misplaced, since many same-sex couples already have or would like to have children. There are also some distinctions to be made between DINK by choice, DINKY and DINK by circumstance. Some couples cannot have children, they wait a little longer before having children, while others deliberately choose not to have children. These couples all represent very different types of people, and marketing strategies may not be equally effective or applicable to all childless couples.
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