Opinion - Generation Media

New year, new horizons

Jonathan looks at how, for those willing to adapt to the demands of 2025’s audiences, the rewards could be game-changing.

2024 marked the final year in which Generation Alpha were born. Gen Alpha’s media habits have already reshaped how brands interact with audiences in line with technological evolution, developing new challenges and opportunities for marketers along the way. As 2025 ushers in Gen Beta, this will continue at pace. Top tips for keeping ahead in 2025 and beyond include:

1. Disney+ emerges as a key advertising platform

For years, Disney+ has been a premium, subscription-based service, attracting millions of family households across the UK. However, its recent strategic pivot toward ad-supported tiers has opened significant opportunities for advertisers seeking to reach younger audiences and kidults alike. The Disney brand’s enduring appeal among families makes Disney+ a prime platform for toy brands. With its rich ecosystem of content—spanning iconic franchises from Star Wars and Marvel to Disney animation classics—marketers can deliver campaigns that align seamlessly with popular, brand-safe programming.

In 2025, we expect to see further advances in targeting capabilities, which when coupled with the continued growth of ad inventory will make Disney+ a more significant factor in marketing plans. Whilst it might not have the scope to complete with YouTube for scale, we do expect it to challenge the kids’ Linear TV market for share when data is made available via BARB during Q1 of 2025. Indeed, it would not be a surprise to see it deliver more commercial impacts than any of the current kids’ commercial channels.

2. The decline of Linear TV and rise of CTV and FAST channels

The shift away from linear TV has been underway for some time, but in 2025, Connected TV (CTV) and Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels will fully cement their place as essential media channels for younger audiences. This will be accelerated by Narrative’s decision to replace its linear streams (of Pop, Tiny Pop and Pop Max) on Freeview with equivalent FAST channels to join the host other CTV and FAST platforms available such as ITVX, Pluto TV and Samsung TV. These platforms offer free, easily accessible content with light ad loads. For brands, FAST channels provide a cost-effective way to reach audiences which are moving away from traditional TV but still enjoy curated, lean-back viewing experiences. We do not expect the recent Narrative news to be the last of this nature within the kids’ market. Paramount+ continues to grow its European user base, and from 2026, Max will also launch in Europe. How long before we see similar announcements regarding the Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network portfolios in the UK?

3. Gaming formats become critical marketing channels

Gaming continues its meteoric rise as one of the most important cultural touchpoints for Gen Alpha. According to recent studies, over 90% of children in the UK regularly engage with gaming content, whether it’s playing titles like Fortnite, Roblox, or Minecraft, or watching gaming streams on platforms such as YouTube and Twitch.

In 2025, marketers should adopt a gaming-first mindset, leveraging both in-game advertising and branded gaming experiences to capture the attention of Gen Alpha. Platforms like Roblox are becoming digital playgrounds where brands can create immersive, interactive campaigns. Success stories from toy companies and entertainment franchises have proven that when done authentically, these experiences drive deep engagement and brand loyalty.

The key will be to balance entertainment and messaging in ways that resonate naturally with Gen Alpha. Traditional advertising approaches simply don’t work in gaming environments, where younger audiences expect creativity, interactivity and rewards in exchange for their attention.

4. Data driven conversion of kidult and parent audiences

Targeting Gen Alpha, and eventually Gen Beta, is rich with possibilities- however there will always be some major challenges. (Rightly) limiting the use of personalised data, as well as limited online spending power, will always make proving advertising effectiveness more difficult.

However the emergence of kidults as a productive market for toys, as well as the increased focus on marketing spends towards parents, will alleviate some of this challenge. Being able to track conversion to sales (dependent on channel) will lead to more brands executing cost per acquisition focused campaigns online. This will primarily be focused on owned sales channels, but expect to see other platforms, notably Amazon, make it easier for brands to navigate the sales funnel through use of their full portfolio of products (from Prime Video through to Sponsored Ads) and make more informed decisions as to what is and isn’t driving sales.

5. COPPA 2.0 to usher in a greater focus on digital wellbeing

With increasing scrutiny on digital media’s impact on children, ethical marketing practices will be front and centre in 2025. The expected rollout of COPPA 2.0—a significant update to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act—will have far-reaching implications for marketers. COPPA 2.0 aims to expand protections for children’s data privacy, setting stricter rules around data collection, targeting and advertising to under-13 audiences.

For marketers, this means heightened responsibility to ensure campaigns are compliant with new regulations. Brands will need to adopt robust data practices and prioritise transparency to maintain trust with parents and regulators.

Campaigns that champion creativity, inclusivity and emotional wellbeing will resonate most strongly with Gen Alpha and their parents. Responsible and regulation-compliant marketing will be key to avoiding backlash, ensuring safety and building longterm loyalty.

The future is digital, on-demand and deeply interactive. For those willing to meet the demands of 2025’s audiences, the rewards could be gamechanging. These top tips act as a holistic prediction of what to expect in 2025, however every brand will have its own unique journey to come out on top. If you’d like to understand more about how your brand can win in 2025 (and beyond), get in touch today.