KIDS’ CONTENT: A WORLD FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LEADING COMPANIES IN THE KIDS AND ANIMATION BUSINESS TALK ABOUT THE CURRENT CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES, AND TRENDS IN THE WORLD OF CONTENT MADE FOR THE LITTLE ONES.

In times when children begin to interact with screens from an ever-younger age, the viewing options are multiplying, and the offer is almost unlimited. Reaching the smallest consumers, a task that until some time ago fell only to television, today is a great challenge for both channels and digital platforms. Señal News spoke with representatives of the leading companies in the kids’ segment about the current challenges, opportunities, and trends in the world of content made for the little ones.

Diego Ibañez, Chief Brand Officer, and Carlos Biern , Content and Distribution Director of the Kids & Family division

"Children's brands have been associated a lot with the preschool environment, which is currently exhausted for two reasons: because everyone is there and because the child of that age is now receiving inspiration from other places. So, one can no longer serve the same target in the same place. Meanwhile, a completely neglected target is adolescents: teens, and tweens. At the same time, the storytelling that the industry knows is more focused on a long format that works on a single screen, like television, while this industry is still incapable of telling the same story using ten different screens, with different audiovisual languages and the necessary agility. To reach that audience you used to reach with just one screen, now you need ten."

Alix Wiseman, Senior Vice President, Distribution & Acquisitions

"The message we are getting from all territories around the world, especially in the United States, is that they want wellknown and established IPs, brands, and shows already loved by kids from all regions. That happens because they are a safer, less risky bet. Buyers know there will be a return; they will maintain their audiences and keep the kids happy. For example, shows like 'Barney' perform so well for us. We definitely keep selling original IPs in the region, but there is a tendency to go to the safer place, taking few risks."

 Athena Georgaklis, Vice President

"It does not matter the show's demographic or style because, above that, we are always looking for great characters. The hook is great, and the concept is always important too. We are looking for unique things, as there are many similarities in the shows that we are seeing. It is really hard to find something you have never seen before, but it does happen, and surprisingly unique concepts do come to us. However, we would never go forward if they do not have a strong lead character. Kids are drawn to characters, and they are the ones that make a show have longevity."

 Cristiana Buzzelli, SVP of Contents and Licensing

"In the past few years, there has been a big demand for preschool content, and now that the preschool space is more crowded, I believe there is a gap both in the kids 6+ animation and live-action, which has been kind of neglected for quite some time in terms of broadcasters. Some years ago, kids were sticking to animation for a longer time. That means that, for example, a 6-8 years-old kid was watching animation and not turning into the live-action space before being in the tween demographic. Now, that life cycle has been shortened, and kids are watching live-action much earlier than it used to be. Therefore, there is now a good opportunity for liveaction in the 6+ space, something that did not exist before."

 Robin Gladman, Head of Acquisitions

"Kids spend much time on digital platforms consuming things very quickly, so you need to find a way to correctly manage the windows and adapt your content to work in all of these different ways of consumption. For example, if kids are watching on a mobile device and scrolling through something, content should get to the action much faster, while if you are doing something for platforms or television, which is more of a lean-back experience, you got more time to develop the story. Nevertheless, what all have in common is that you need to have good characters and excellent production quality."

 Juliette Béchu, International Sales Manager & Acquisitions

"We are always trying to acquire new series of different genres, themes, and forms of animation, so we have a catalog of programs that do not look like each other. We also like to work with producers from everywhere in the world and get to meet new creators and their projects. The main idea is to always have fresh content in our catalog. Having shows that explore new horizons also allows us to meet new clients and explore new markets."

 Bonnie Lener, Producer, and Sépideh Shirazi-Moayed, Content Sales Director

"What is important to us are values, which is why we push 'Molang' so hard because it is a character who talks to everyone. He is the ambassador of kindness. Although we are at an early stage, we are thinking about a movie of 'Molang' and also a new spinoff called 'Molang Family.' We are trying to push this little character that is so popular and deserves to be that popular because it is all about kindness and has universal values that we want to share with viewers."

 Fanny Gilabert, VP of International Sales

"Musical shows are easier to present to broadcasters worldwide, as music is an international language. It is challenging to dub the music, but a catchy song is great anywhere. A good music show can surely be an international hit. It is a form of art that is easy to get for kids all over the world. Regarding targets, there are many preschool shows on the market, so now the buyers are looking for great content for kids 8+, which is a tricky target group. At this age, we are seeing that kids are shifting to VOD platforms. Therefore, the challenge is to find appealing content for that specific audience."

Marta Braun, Head of Latin America

"We have seen that a successful show on YouTube goes to Netflix and gets into the top 10, then goes to HBO Max, and it also gets into the top 10 there. We reach new viewers while expanding the footprint because some parents might want their kids to watch YouTube, while others might prefer Netflix, for example. That does not cannibalize the viewership; it only grows it. Regarding trends, a few players would like some educative angles, such as science, math, or engineering. Diversity and representation are also in high demand. It depends a lot on the client, which is why it is so important to listen, even when clients do not know exactly what they are looking for."

Morgann Favennec, EVP of Distribution

"Naturally, I would have a preference for a project that would be complimentary to our DNA. We are powerful on comedy and slapstick, so something a little bit different but keeping that comedy element. When you co-produce, you are not just working with others but bringing something different. We learn from each other and integrate different storytelling, techniques, and points of view. For example, in the United States, we have many partners that come to us and talk about AVOD, FAST, and other non-traditional ways of doing business."

Giorgio Scorza , CEO

"We have recently reimagined the Topo Gigio' as a preschool cartoon comedy. With more than 60 years, 'Topo Gigio' is a heritage property in Italy. We started thinking that it was quite popular, especially for the generation of today's parents, but then we discovered that it was also famous worldwide, in particular in Latin America. For us, it is a matter of heritage. We are talking about our childhood, our life. Therefore, it was amazing for us to make this show, and we had the blessing of Italian puppet artist Maria Perego, its creator."

By Diego Alfagemez and Federico Marzullo