Why Kids & Animals Are A Formula For Success In The Toy & Entertainment Industries
There is a much repeated saying in show business - never work with kids or animals. And frankly, bearing in mind how stressful & intense such productions often are, there seems to be wisdom in that.
However, when we look at the Toy business or the Kids entertainment content business, the opposite seems to apply!
From Scooby-Doo to Madagascar, from Schleich to My Little Pony - kids and animals work in commercial terms.
The most prevalent reason for this based on consumer research we have conducted with kids (thousands of focus groups with kids) is that the animal kingdom has something to offer every kid - we have the more boisterous, energetic & funny animals i.e. dogs, the cute little things i.e. ponies, the sheer aggression of some i.e. Lions, and everything in between.
We could look deeper than this to look at how some kids (often, primarily, but not exclusively girls) have a more nurturing, caring play pattern, hence the attraction of My Little pony or Littlest Pet Shop. Or how some kids (often, primarily but not exclusively boys) like boisterous and aggressive play patterns. or we could look at how kids love funny things, and how animals can have clear characters & personalities but can also do funny things that humans normally wouldn't.
The reality is that the old maxim about never working with kids and animals most certainly doesn't apply to the Toy industry or Kid targeted entertainment business!