Guest Columnist

Bethan Garton, commercial director at The Point.1888, on how understanding the different audiences within the preschool market has been key for Moonbug’s success in licensing.

Right: Bethan Garton, commercial director, The Point.1888.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

annoying content and they want good quality educational products for their children.

CONTINUOUS INVESTMENT

But how do you get this insight? It’s a clever combination of experience, brand immersion and data.

The beauty of an organisation the size of Moonbug is that it has a wealth of information and insight that can be invaluable when developing products and activities. Not only that, but it continuously invests in its properties, adding new episodes and content on a weekly basis. This means kids can access their portfolio of brands wherever and however they want, keeping popularity and loyalty high while at the same time, producing even more data for us to use.

A brand’s insight can only take a brand licensing programme so far. You also need a team of experts on board who know the space inside and out. At The Point.1888,

we’re particularly strong in the preschool industry with experience working on In the Night Garden, Teletubbies, Noddy, Fisher Price, The Gruffalo and Crayola. We also Y ou’d have to have been hiding under a rock for the last few months to have not heard about have an ex-toy buyer in the team. This combined experience and knowledge has been invaluable. But we cannot forget the importance of brand immersion. how Moonbug Entertainment has We ensure our entire team watches taken over the world of licensing. preschool content every week,

With the planet’s biggest kids’ even if they don’t have kids. Yes, entertainment brands on its books we’re getting paid to watch TV! – Morphle, CoComelon, Blippi, Of course, it does help if you Little Baby Bum and more. It have your own preschooler at has a huge fanbase to work home. Seeing the way they with, but, as we all know, interact and what they there’s not space for every get from the properties brand on the retail floor. So is brilliant learning. how do you ensure every And how has this property sees success? understanding of the

The trick is customer different audiences within segmentation. Even though the preschool market been each of Moonbug’s brands applied to help Moonbug? is for preschool, by drilling It helps set a clear strategy down into this audience and identifies the products even further you get to see the that will best reflect each subtle differences and huge property’s values in a creative and opportunities that lie within. engaging way. This has enabled

For example, Little Baby us to make products available Bum targets the youngest end across the retail spectrum and of preschool, starting at 0-6 across a wide range of categories. months old. With a mix of It is a privilege to work recognisable nursery rhymes with Moonbug and there is and music at its core, it appeals a lot more news to come. heavily to this demographic.

The likes of Morphle and Blippi attract the older preschoolers aged between three and five. In Morphle, the introduction of bandits for a good vs bad element means it really suits an older preschooler.

The other key audience of course are parents/carers as they make the buying decisions and ultimately decide what content their kids watch. We all know this group despises

“There’s not space for every brand on the retail floor. So how do you ensure every property sees success? ” Below: CoComelon has made a big impact in the preschool licensing space.