Flowing Bee

Stage 02 · Build preference · 39% of addressable audience

Making the connected watch feel like the right first connection

The watch has to win preference against more familiar alternatives: a smartphone, a hand-me-down phone, a GPS tracker, waiting, or current family routines. It can win if it becomes the legitimate middle step.

Almost 1 in 2 (48%) like the idea of a smartwatch but are not sure this specific plan fits their household. Around 3 in 10 (29%) can see the need but are not convinced a smartwatch is the right option. Around 1 in 4 (23%) would not consider Watch Plan for this child.

Parent voice

“I'm at the phase of looking at particular items, whether it's a phone or maybe considered a smartwatch. But yeah, I'm at that phase of just finding the right thing for her.”

Parent, Western Australia, child aged 11

The core tension

I want my child to be reachable, without opening the smartphone door too early.

The behavioural diagnosis

9 behavioural factors to address head on

01Smartphone default02Trade-off overload03Boundary ambiguity04Limited-by-design gap05Child acceptance risk06Social proof gap07Safety–surveillance tension08Parent identity risk09Compatibility gate

01 — Smartphone default

Contact still means smartphone.

When parents think their child needs a way to stay in touch, the smartphone remains the default answer.

It is familiar, complete and socially normal. It calls, messages, supports location, fits peer expectations and can serve future needs. Even where parents want to delay the smartphone, it still has a strong mental advantage because it feels like the all-in-one solution.

Parent voice

“Phone would be the best option. Because you can do all you can do on a phone that you can do on a watch. And then it's not two items. It's just one that ticks all the boxes.”

Parent, regional NSW, child aged 9

Key evidence

Around 1 in 2 parents (48%)

have seriously considered a smartphone for this child, compared with around 1 in 6 (17%) who have seriously considered a smartwatch with its own mobile connection.

Supporting signal: Among those with a leading option, 2 in 5 (40%) say the smartphone currently feels most likely, compared with around 1 in 11 (9%) for a smartwatch with its own mobile connection.

Behavioural job

Interrupt the shortcut that says contact equals smartphone by making the watch feel like the more appropriate first connection before a phone.

02 — Trade-off overload

Parents are comparing unlike options.

Parents are comparing options that solve different jobs.

A smartphone solves contact and capability. A tracker solves location. Waiting avoids technology. Current arrangements avoid effort. A basic phone may feel simpler. A hand-me-down phone may feel convenient. A connected watch sits between these options, which means parents need to decide which trade-off matters most.

Parent voice

“Putting up all the pros and cons to it. Okay. Watch A doesn't give us location, real time location, but it gives us better battery life and it's cheaper. Okay, so smartwatch B, little bit more expensive, gives me real time tracking, connects to my phone.”

Parent, regional NSW, child aged 9

Key evidence

Parents are considering a fragmented set of options

around 1 in 2 (48%) have considered a smartphone, around 1 in 5 (20%) keeping current arrangements, around 1 in 5 (20%) a hand-me-down phone, around 1 in 5 (19%) a GPS tracker or safety device, and around 1 in 6 (17%) a smartwatch with its own mobile connection.

Supporting signal: Waiting remains attractive because it is easy: around 1 in 5 (21%) say waiting until the child is older may feel better than a smartwatch.

Behavioural job

Simplify the choice architecture by positioning Watch Plan around the highest-tension decision: the child needs connection, but a smartphone feels like too much.

03 — Boundary ambiguity

The watch must feel like a boundary, rather than a gateway.

Parents like the idea of a responsible middle step, but the watch does not automatically feel like it will delay the smartphone.

It can be read in two ways: a boundary that helps parents hold the smartphone line, or another connected device on the way to a phone anyway. This ambiguity matters because the watch only wins preference if it helps parents manage the technology threshold they are trying to protect.

Parent voice

“This is a tricky one, and I'm somewhere in the middle, because I have already introduced her to iPad. She has got smart TV at home and same iPad at school as well. So she's already introduced to the technology.”

Parent, NSW (Sydney), child aged 9

Key evidence

Around 2 in 3 parents (66%)

agree that a smartwatch with its own mobile connection feels like a responsible middle step before a smartphone.

Supporting signal: Around 3 in 5 (62%) say a smartwatch would make no real difference to when the child gets a smartphone. Only around 1 in 12 (8%) say it would mean the child gets a smartphone later.

Behavioural job

Make the boundary credible by showing that Watch Plan gives children contact, safety and independence while keeping apps, social media, web browsing and open-ended phone use limited.

04 — Limited-by-design gap

"Does less" must become the reason to choose.

The watch's narrower function could be its strongest advantage. It can offer calls, messages, location and safety without opening up the broader world of apps, games, scrolling, social media and web browsing.

"Limited" needs to feel intentional and valuable. Parents need to see the watch's narrower role as a feature of the decision, rather than a compromise.

Parent voice

“I looked at their website and it's like, no connectivity. And to me I'm like, good. It's very limited and therefore very safe. And I guess if I was deciding, okay, we need a watch, which one, I would look for that kind of thing.”

Parent, Victoria, children in Grade 3

Key evidence

Around 3 in 4 parents (74%)

would feel better if the watch was clearly for calls, messages, location and safety, with limited entertainment features.

Supporting signal: Around 2 in 3 (65%) agree that one appeal of a smartwatch is that it does less than a smartphone, but only around 1 in 8 Stage 2 parents (13%) select "it does less than a smartphone" as a reason to consider a smartwatch instead of a phone.

Behavioural job

Make limitation feel deliberate, protective and age-appropriate by framing the watch as giving children the specific connection they need first, without the smartphone features parents are trying to delay.

05 — Child acceptance risk

The watch has to work for the child, as well as the parent.

Parents may be the primary decision-makers, but the child's acceptance matters. The product only works if the child wears it, uses it and sees it as a useful step toward independence.

If the child sees the watch as a poor substitute for a phone, parental preference becomes harder to convert into action.

Parent voice

“She can then wear it at school. She doesn't have to hand the phone in at school. So she could then sort of say, oh, you know, look how many steps I did at school.”

Parent, regional NSW, child aged 9

Key evidence

More than 3 in 5 parents (63%)

say the child would influence the decision.

Supporting signal: Around 1 in 6 Stage 2 parents (15%) say another option may feel better because the child wants a phone more, and around 1 in 6 (15%) say the child may not want to wear a watch.

Behavioural job

Make the watch feel like a positive step for the child by linking it to independence, responsibility, confidence and growing up, rather than restriction imposed by the parent.

06 — Social proof gap

Phones are easier to justify because they are more common.

Phones are visible, familiar and socially normal. Smartwatches are less established, so parents need a stronger story for why they are choosing one.

Social pressure may operate indirectly. Parents may not openly say they follow other families, but peer norms shape what feels normal, defensible and fair to the child.

Parent voice

“[A parent who gives their child a connected smartwatch] to me would be very protective and very smart. And probably have a bit more money, because there's not a heck of a lot of nine year olds walking around with their smart watches.”

Parent, Queensland, child aged 10

Key evidence

Around 1 in 2 parents (50%)

say all or most of the child's friends or classmates have their own phone. Only around 1 in 7 (15%) say all or most have their own smartwatch.

Supporting signal: More than 1 in 2 (58%) worry the child could feel left out if they do not have what friends have.

Behavioural job

Give parents social licence by making the watch feel like a normal, responsible first connection for families who want reachability before a smartphone.

07 — Safety–surveillance tension

Location sharing needs to feel like safety.

Location sharing can be a major reason to consider a watch, but it needs to be framed carefully. Parents want reassurance, while also wanting the child to feel trusted.

The watch becomes more appealing when location sharing is understood as a safety support for independent moments. It becomes more uncomfortable when it feels like over-monitoring or tracking.

Parent voice

“I don't like the term monitor. Is this surveillance? But maybe from our daughter's perspective, she would think, oh, just monitoring. I would make sure that she understands the right reasons. And it's not direct surveillance.”

Parent, Queensland, child aged 10

Key evidence

More than 4 in 5 parents (86%)

would feel comfortable using location sharing if the child understood it was about safety, rather than surveillance.

Supporting signal: Around 2 in 5 (38%) worry that having location access could make them check too often, and around 1 in 3 (33%) worry using location sharing could make them feel overprotective.

Behavioural job

Reframe location sharing as agreed safety backup for independence, with clear parent-child language around when, why and how it should be used.

08 — Parent identity risk

The choice must feel balanced and responsible.

Parents are choosing what kind of parenting decision the device represents.

A connected watch can be interpreted as responsible, balanced and developmentally appropriate. It can also feel overprotective, restrictive, or like the child is being tracked. If the choice threatens how parents want to see themselves, preference becomes harder to build.

Parent voice

“I mean, it does make me feel overprotective. Because we did not have to worry about any of that when I was her age. And it sucks that we kind of have to feel that way.”

Parent, Queensland, child aged 10

Key evidence

Around 1 in 3 parents (33%)

agree a smartwatch could feel overprotective.

Supporting signal: Around 2 in 3 (66%) agree a smartwatch could be a responsible middle step before a smartphone.

Behavioural job

Make Watch Plan feel like balanced parenting: more independence for the child, clearer boundaries for the parent, and a slower path into the smartphone world.

09 — Compatibility gate

Apple and device fit can stop preference forming.

Some parents do not get far enough to prefer the plan because it feels like it may not be for their household.

This factor is especially prominent in Stage 2 because this group is less Apple-ready. If a parent quickly codes the plan as wrong for their household, they may move on before appreciating the value of a watch as a middle step.

Parent voice

“Only limited to iPhone. Why not Android? You're losing a bigger chunk of people over there. I mean basic things, call, message, share location. That's all in there. That's what I want.”

Parent, NSW (Sydney), child aged 9

Key evidence

Around 3 in 5 Stage 2 parents (60%)

use Android as their main phone, while around 2 in 5 (38%) use an iPhone.

Supporting signal: Around 3 in 10 (30%) say the iPhone / Apple Watch setup means the plan would not work for their household, and around 1 in 5 (22%) say their first reaction is that the plan may not fit because it is Apple-based.

Behavioural job

Make household fit obvious early by clearly showing what phone the parent needs, what watch is required, what Telstra provides, what the family needs to buy, and what to do if the household uses Android.

The behavioural lever

Limited by design

Make the watch's narrower role the reason to choose it, giving children contact, safety and independence while apps, social media, web browsing and open-ended phone use stay closed.

Priority task for Telstra

Interrupt the shortcut that says contact equals smartphone by positioning Watch Plan as the legitimate middle step: a credible boundary, a socially defensible choice, location sharing understood as agreed safety backup, and household fit made obvious early enough that Android families are not lost before preference forms.

All stages Next stage: Convert action