If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s that the new generation of kids is shifting the way companies are marketing and selling their products.
The Insights Family debuted its 2022 Mapping The World of Content report today ahead of Licensing Expo. The report’s data is sourced from 469,040 kids ages 3 and up and 228,800 parents across 22 countries and six continents. It covers various forms of content from video gaming to the metaverse and provides more insight on popular IPs.
There are five key trends Insights Family reveals that content and licensed brands should look out for: “Kids Dictate the Market Winner,” “Gaming: The New Family Pastime,” “On-Screen Content Driving Purchases,” “Content as Career,” and “Make Content Work for You.”
First, the data shows that kids dictate the market winner in the streaming wars. Kids ages 6-9 are more likely to name Disney+ (+22%) than Netflix as their platform of choice because Disney+ supplies kids with access to their favorite shows (+28%). Next, The Insights Family reports that gaming is becoming a more popular family activity, with millennial parents exhibiting a 31% likelihood of playing video games as a family compared to Generation X.
While any seasoned toy enthusiast knows that content on the screen has always shaped merchandise on the shelves, there’s new data to confirm that it’s still true. The Insights Family reports that among 3-5-year-olds internationally, PAW Patrol toys are the third most- popular type of toy. In the U.S., fans of PAW Patrol (or their parents) are 41% more likely to purchase toys that relate to their favorite show.
Even though licensing remains one of the most efficient ways to build an organic customer base, there are still some new industry trends to look out for. Kids today have new career goals due to the rising popularity of influencers. The report found that becoming a YouTube content creator is the fourth most popular career aspiration worldwide and the first in the UK, Poland, Brazil, Canada, and South Korea.
Lastly, Mapping The World of Content reports shifting trends in which platforms people prefer. According to the data, 55% of teenagers use Instagram, whereas parents on TikTok have increased by 12%. Tweens are shifting to podcasts for certain topics, with tween TV and movie podcast listeners increasing by 47%.
“Licensed toy purchases have increased overall in our data, as kids look to engage with their favorite digital IP in the offline space, now more than ever. While licensed TV toys remain the most popular IP category amongst kids aged 3-9 (43%), the highest growth areas are in fact toys related to video games (+25%) and YouTubers (+14%)”, says Matt Smith, head of the industry knowledge team at Insights Family. “As kids are engaging more with online content, the variety of IPs that resonate with them is growing.”
Mapping The World of Content is available to download for free here.
Register here for Licensing Expo to discover the thousands of IPs ready to license from more than 200 brands that span every product category imaginable. Registration is free, so do it today. Also, be sure to visit Adventure Media & Events in Booth No. B121 to pick up new issues of the Toy Book and the Pop Insider at the show!
