The Insights Family
The systems at play The term ‘toy ecosystem’ is one becoming more and more prevalent in modern toy marketing, as children’s media and entertainment becomes increasingly fragmented. Toys have become so much more than just the product, but the world they inhabit and the brand universe that exists around them. In this month’s column with ToyNews, The Insights Family dives into the process of taking toys that extra step beyond play
T
he kids’ entertainment ecosystem continues to become more fragmented than ever. In 2020, the top ten favourite TV shows among three to five year olds made up 84 per cent of the market share. 12 months on, the top ten represents just 68 per cent of the market, marking a considerable decrease, from any angle you look at it. Therefore, to maximise brand exposure in a saturated marketplace, it’s never been more important to expand kids’ IP and create presence across multiple touchpoints in the ecosystem. A global leader in kids, parents, and family market
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intelligence, The Insights Family works to provide real-time data on the attitudes, behaviour, and consumption patterns of such an audience. In fact, every year the company surveys more than 383,760 kids and 187,200 parents to deliver up to the minute data and insights on topics just like this. So, what does that data show? We’ll let The Insights Family’s founder, Nick Richardson explain: Our data shows the top ways children aged three to five interact with their favourite characters and IPs is first and foremost, through watching YouTube (37 per cent), followed by watching on
Streaming platforms (36 per cent), playing Video Games (30 per cent), and purchasing Toys or Games (29 per cent). We’re seeing a host of toy brands expand their ecosystem, by creating more experiences across these touchpoints than just toys for their fans. So, the question is: is it working? There are lots of examples which show these more innovative approaches to be working from across the toys category - we have seen significant positive uplifts around awareness, preference, and purchase intent for brands such as Playmobil, PAW Patrol,
