Kids Industries global study: 65% of children ages 4-13 are part of a fan community

A new global study by Kids Industries (KI) has found that 65% of children ages 4-13 are part of a fandom and actively seek out others and communities that share their likes and interests to engage in social, cultural and media activities around it.

The study of 5,000 families (20,147 family members), conducted in 10 countries on six continents, shows that children express their fandom in an average of 3.5 different ways - making fandom much broader than just watching a video or playing a game.

39% of respondents share moments with others,

31% buy or receive products, and 

30% use as many touch points as possible, such as books, music, games, TV and movies, sports and lifestyle.

"Our study shows that young people have a strong interest in fandoms, but the reality is that fandoms are harder than ever to develop," said Joshua Brocklehurst, senior researcher at KI. "Thanks to the overwhelming access and amount of content available - the global family has an average of 6.1 types of devices and 5.1 platforms to access video content - it's incredibly challenging to break through. Add to that the problem of ever-shortening attention spans due to multiple screenings, and it's clear what challenges brands face in building fan bases."

Key findings of the study include:

• Fandom is expressed in a variety of ways (3.5 on average).
• The top way kids express fandom for brands, titles and people they love is through sharing with friends and family (39%). Second, at 31%, is buying or asking for products with the brand/celebrity, and third is wanting to know all the latest information about the things they are a fan of (30%).
• "Brands need to focus on creating experiences - new ways to tell stories that are easy to share - and especially experiences that can be shared with others," Brocklehurst says. "They also need to ask themselves, 'To what extent can our audience feel valued as a creative contributor to their fandom and to our brand?' and take the opportunity to really expand their touch points, tap into different spheres of influence and, most importantly, be physically and digitally visible. That way, they can reap real benefits. I would also caution against rushing campaigns and experiences (in a race to the bottom) - take responsibility for safety and audience engagement and develop them with these aspects in mind.

Source: www.kidsindustrie.com