Giraffe Insights - Bridging the gap

how edutainment became a lockdown sensation

Lucy Irving, insight manager at Giraffe Insights, explores how educational and entertainment content have merged to produce the success story that is edutainment, and how toy companies and retailers can make the most of the trend.

The year 2020 has seen the lines between educational and entertainment content increasingly blurred. Covid-19 restrictions, home schooling and multiple lockdowns have made it one of the key success stories of the pandemic period, with parents looking to bridge the gap between learning time and down time. In our Giraffe Insights studies, Kids and the Screen and Little Voices, we have seen an increasing need for content, products and brands that blur the line between education and entertainment. Edutainment now presents a lucrative opportunity for brands - both for the development of edutainment products and content, and for advertisement placing and brand alignment.

Kids and parents are looking for learning opportunities outside of school.

The move to remote learning has meant many parents are temporarily responsible for their children’s education. As a result, many are willing to relax restrictions on screen time, with 79% of parents allowing more screen time for educational purposes. A recent study by Samsung found that 40% of kids are using TV screen time (on both live and smart connected TVs) to watch educational videos and programmes. This, combined with the information that 67% of kids are watching more educational content than before Covid restrictions, suggests that parents and kids are seeking alternative sources of learning outside of remote school hours.

However, keeping entertained is just as important.

Parents are looking for content, products and brands that bridge the gap between learning and fun; 8/10 parents prefer their children to watch content that is both entertaining and educational. With kids’ school and social lives continuing to be disrupted into 2021, the need for edutainment will become increasingly pronounced.

Not just a lockdown fad, the global edutainment market is expected to grow by 16.1% in terms of revenue between now and 2028. Giraffe Insights research found that 50% of parents believe that their child will watch more edutainment content in the future. Producing or piggybacking off the edutainment trend could therefore prove a fruitful investment for brands within the kids and youth space.

How are kids engaging with edutainment content?

It’s important to understand when, where and how kids are accessing this content. Currently, kids are primarily doing so on digital platforms – particularly Video On Demand platforms, with 45% using Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) and 28% using Broadcaster Video On Demand (BVOD).

Digital viewing.

Digital only edutainment brands such as Little Baby Bum have seen a boom in popularity. Currently, kids are accessing Little Baby Bum both on SVOD platform Netflix (45%) and on online platforms like YouTube (45%). Edutainment is also topping the kids BVOD charts with shows like Hey Dugee, Blue Peter and Operation Ouch in the top ten most watched shows on BBC iPlayer and BBC iPlayer Kids.

Social media and online video sharing sites are also a force to be reckoned with; 41% of kids are most likely to access edutainment content online. When asked about specific platforms, 70% of kids said they use YouTube to learn new information, while 31% of kids use social media - Facebook, Instagram and TikTok - to watch tutorials.

Historically wary of social media, parents are now increasingly open to their children learning on these platforms, ranking YouTube and TikTok as offering the best opportunity for their children to learn.

Linear viewing.

17% of kids who are viewing edutainment content are doing so on live TV. The peak time is in the early morning, up until 9am, on children’s TV channels like CBeebies, CBBC, CITV and Milkshake– with late morning and early afternoon dominated by online viewing and the late afternoon and evening being SVOD-heavy.

Although having a smaller proportion of edutainment viewers, linear TV channels have recently been investing in edutainment content – particularly the BBC dedicating significant airtime to edutainment content across its channel portfolio. Since the last lockdown in April, CBeebies viewership has more than doubled. Outside of national broadcasters, commercial channels, despite overall live viewership decreasing, still have the highest level of advert recall (46%) compared with online (29%).

What this means for toy companies and retailers

With the lines between home and school, work and play increasingly blurred, edutainment has never been more important. There are three ways toy companies and retailers can make the most of the trend across product, content and marketing:

• Developing a distinct edutainment offering:

creating a product, content or range with edutainment at its heart in order to fulfil current needs. There is a strong appetite for more opportunities, with kids and parents predicting they will access more edutainment content in the coming year. • Generating brand affinity: linking brands with edutainment as a concept through switches in marcomms messaging, products sold (particularly for retailers) or collaborations with existing edutainment brands.

• Piggybacking off the success of edutainment

content: attaching advertising and marketing to successful edutainment content. Investing in digital advertising campaigns attached to edutainment content on popular digital platforms could be beneficial. However, ad recall is still highest across commercial linear platforms, despite lower viewership.

Overall, toy companies and retailers need to understand what kids and parents need and expect from edutainment content and products. Whatever route they choose, edutainment shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Investing in research and insight could help catapult brands to a new level, making sure their offering stands out in an increasingly competitive field.

Overall, toy companies and retailers need to understand what kids and parents need and expect from edutainment content and products. Whatever route they choose, edutainment shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Investing in research and insight could help catapult brands to a new level, making sure their offering stands out in an increasingly competitive field.