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

The 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 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,

Rubik’s, LEGO, LOL Dolls, and Mattel after sizeable digital campaigns.

At the time of the Playmobil movie release in August 2019, Playmobil toys spiked in popularity by 103 per cent compared to the previous three months - showing a positive impact on the brand’s popularity overall.

Our data shows the top purchases of kids aged three to nine who watched Playmobil: The Movie are Books, Magazines & Comics, and Toys, over-indexing by 90 per cent, 74 per cent, and 15 per cent respectively.

We also look to track the new PAW Patrol movie, released this month. The movie was the most anticipated release during June to August with 15 per cent of three to five year olds looking forward to its release.

Our data shows that the children who are most looking forward to watching the movie are most likely to buy Toys (63 per cent), Magazines & Comics (35 per cent) and Clothes (28 per cent) related to their favourite films.

Early indications also show that between May and August 2021, Chase - the lead character - has also increased as a favourite by 65 per cent in the run up to the release date, illustrating the positive effect on the wider brand from these extensions.

Furthermore, our data shows the popularity of the TV show has also increased by 14 per cent when compared against the first four months of 2021.

MGA Entertainment is also expanding its universe by experimenting with events and experiences, with L.O.L Surprise! Dolls going on their first UK arena concert tour. The move comes at a good time, not because live events are opening post-coronavirus, but because our data shows the majority of parents (53 per cent) with five to nine-year-olds (the key age of L.O.L Surprise! fans) prefer to spend their money on experiences rather than products.

The brand has also experimented with digital experiences too. Tapping into the trend for co-gaming, earlier this year they created a new experience within the video game Roblox for kids to play. With this generation as comfortable existing in a virtual world as the physical, they expect seamless integration between the two.

Other brands are also turning to the big screen to expand their worlds. Mattel continues to bring its toys to life on screen, with movies based on Barbie, Hot Wheels, and even UNO in the works. All of which we track prior to their release to provide clients with insights on how they resonate with kids, parents, and families and what their impact is on the properties themselves.

Creating additional touchpoints has also been done on a smaller scale than via cinema releases or concert tours too.

The Jazwares plush line Squishmallows recently landed its own animated series, produced by Moonbug on YouTube. The new series, following their toys, will see a new episode released weekly.

According to our UK data, Squishmallows are most popular with kids aged eight to 10, with these fans watching more YouTube (+35 per cent) on a weekly basis than other platforms such as Netflix and Linear TV, showing the importance of understanding your target audience and reaching them on the most relevant platform.

What this means to you… Digital also provides some risks, as with more media fragmentation, the ‘one size fits all’ approach is increasingly not fit for purpose. We believe that brands have to consider geography, personas, age, gender, attitudes, and many other factors about the target audience before planning activity.

Once you have that information (which can vary significantly by region) an ecosystem can be built to engage your key audience, using the most relevant and prevalent touchpoints. Not only do these touchpoints serve as channels for kids to discover new IPs and toys, but they also satisfy the demand for more content and experiences from avid fans.

As part of The Insights Family continued development, the company has released a quarterly Toy Report for its clients which includes analysis on kids’ favourite hobbies and activities, favourite toy categories and toys and analysis of their spending and influence. In addition, the report looks forward at future demand (based on IP and toy brands).

To download a complimentary copy of the inaugural Toy Report, visit https://try. theinsightsfamily.com/toynews/