UK-based Kids Industries is repositioning itself as a fandom-focused marketing agency that helps brand owners understand how each member of the family interacts with different properties and franchises. 

This announcement comes on the heels of KI publishing a new research report today showing that 75% of families in the US and UK are engaging in fandoms together, and 89% of the time, the discovery process for these fandoms is driven by kids or multiple family members. These findings are based on a survey of 2,000 people that was conducted last month.

KI co-founder and CEO Gary Pope has earmarked families as a strong business opportunity for its clients because this consumer base is significantly more likely to purchase merchandise and recommend their favorite brands to others. Compared to solo fans, co-fan families are 33% more likely to watch official TV shows and films, 18% more likely to play with toys and physical games, and 16% more likely to wear branded apparel. 

In response, KI is launching a new suite of services to help IP owners execute strategies that turn consumers into passionate and loyal advocates who actively seek out branded experiences. These include offering family fandom-focused workshops to help brands measure and grow their fan base (two weeks), delivering deep-dive reports to map out exactly how this audience can be activated (six to 12 weeks), and teaching clients how to use KI’s proprietary Fandom Model software to understand their core demographics (one day). 

“From global franchises, to emerging IPs, to FMCG brands, clients across all sectors are chasing deeper, stickier audience connections,” says Pope. “We’ve been designing for fandom long before it became a buzzword, and now feels like the right time to consolidate that experience and make our leadership in this space crystal-clear.”

Since its opening its doors in 1999, KI has worked with major clients including eOne (Peppa Pig), Magic Light Pictures (The Gruffalo), Disney (Star Wars), BBC (Doctor Who) and Merlin Entertainments (LEGOLAND).