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Moves
The top-five things on our radar this month
NEWSFrom rising retail sales to Google dropping billions in the name of hardware, we’re keeping our fingers on the pulse of the fast-paced kids entertainment business.
Bill Schultz is back at bat
TVHome Plate Entertainment’s emphasis on collaboration trickles down to its very name—a baseball metaphor that shows how animation is just as much a team effort as America’s favorite pastime.
TV
Breaking the mold
TVUpstart animation studios in Argentina are pushing beyond service work to forge a new content creation hub, and their plans seem to be working.
SeaWorld splashes into kids content
TVSeaWorld, the brand wrapped around 10 marine-themed amusement parks across the US, has taken its first steps into the kids entertainment biz with its newly formed SeaWorld Pictures division.
Jumping around
TVIsrael’s Hop! looks to branch into new territories with a multi-platform approach.
Just Launched: Victorious
CONSUMER PRODUCTS / TVThere’s no clear formula for building an international hit, but Nickelodeon certainly tried to stack the deck on this one – combining an emerging star with prolific tween comedy creator Dan Schneider to create the live-action series Victorious.
Consumer Products
Challenging characters
CONSUMER PRODUCTSNarrative-free digital and viral properties were the breakout group at Licensing Show. But is sustaining a long-term program without traditional stories possible? Some IP owners contend they’re rewriting the book on the concept.
Retailer Gilt gets into kids brands
CONSUMER PRODUCTSIn an increasingly crowded retail environment, differentiation is becoming the most elusive and valuable commodity for brand owners looking to inflate their bottom lines. In the kids space, New York-based Gilt Group has aligned itself with major brands like Disney and Mattel and developed the Gilt Children banner to offer unique deals in the space.
Kid Insight
Where the boys are
KID INSIGHTForget frogs, snails and puppy dog tails. New research from Nickelodeon’s Brand and Consumer Insights department reveals that video games, sports and a sense of humor are what today’s boys are made of.
Interactive
Expanding networks
INTERACTIVE / TVThe chatter surrounding the robust marketing opportunities inherent to social networks is as old as the news of Facebook signing up its 100-millionth subscriber. But social communities like Facebook and Twitter keep growing at break-neck speeds, and brands are continuously finding new ways to engage audiences via these platforms. Kids TV properties are certainly no different.
All in the family
INTERACTIVEJane Hoffer and her team at Brain Rewards are banking on the notion that families who play together stay together. The company’s new family-based social gaming network, Ohanarama, was designed to bridge the digital gap between 70 million grandparents living in the US and their grandkids.
The definitive kids ent resource.-
McDonald’s, General Mills among Despicable Me 2 marketing minions -
DreamWorks’ Turbo app to shell out US$1 million -
Disney and Lucasfilm announce new Star Wars animated series -
For Grown-Ups Only: 17 Child Un-Friendly Games That You Should Play -
eOne takes all rights to YouTube animated hit Simon’s Cat -
Vevo plays to the family
Photos
MIPCOM 2012 - Victor Knaap and Wesley ter Haar of MediaMonks