Our presentation from the 2014 Children's Media Conference looking at how young early adopters find and share new entertainment, with a focus on social media.
How Young Early Adopters Find and Share new Entertainment (Children's Media Conference 2014)
1. CMC 2014
“People in both fields operate with beliefs and biases. To
the extent you can eliminate both and replace them with
data, you gain a clear advantage.”
― Michael Lewis, Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair
Game
8. "We sold more books today that didn't sell at all
yesterday than we sold today of all the books that did
sell yesterday."
The Long Tail
Chris Anderson, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More
CMC 2014
9. ‘De gustibus non est
disputandum’
[that] of taste is not to be discussed
The Long Tail has no Value?
CMC 2014
10. The Challenge
Fragmentation
More content + more platforms to consume
= harder to be found
Commercialisation
Big brands have access to audience and platforms
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11. Non-traditional Grows Up
1bn downloads
Going toe-to-toe
with Disney
More subscribers
than 1D
80m registered users
Earned enough to
quit his job
2013: $330m
CMC 2014
13. The Funnel
HOW KIDS FIND
WHAT THEY EXPERIENCE
HOW KIDS SHARE
…Make your brand discoverable
…. Make your brand aspirational
…Make your brand more
social
CMC 2014
16. Experts at Filtering
The App Store/Play Store
Scanning reviews, screenshots & graphics – it’s a two-
second process
Delete after a few minutes if not liked
CMC 2014
17. Experts at Filtering
Be the first person to re-tweet / share
Constant Phone Notifications
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18. Experts at Filtering
Use visual cues and be concise
You’ve only got a few seconds
Communicate key hooks straight away
Make peer recommendation super easy… share-ability
CMC 2014
20. NEWNESS:DIFFERENTIATION
Expect & demand a stream of constant change
New is aspirational
Constantly being improved
“A little buzz every time I’m the first to try something out”
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22. Exclusivity
Keen to get away from parents, authority & ‘policing’
Get bored of mainstream
Challenger brands appeal
Value novelty over caution
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23. Popularity
Ratio of followers to following is
important
Number of likes on a photo
Highly managed online ID
It’s a full time job!
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24. Collaboration
Want a 2-way relationship with the creators and designers
Consulted on improvements
Crowd-sourced ideas
Freedom to contribute and get involved
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26. EXCLUSIVITY:How to Make it Aspirational
‘Private’ launch - make them feel special and needed
Leak the information to niche media outlets/sources
Allow them to feedback and improve the product
Strategy to keep the ‘un-cool’ out?!
CMC 2014
29. The more personal it feels, the more teens trust
opinions - A loop of checking!
14-17s
CLOSE
FRIENDS
FRIENDS
FOLLOWERS
A minority have own
YouTube channel
CMC 2014
30. Used to use it for everything!
The Mums and Grandmas have moved in
It’s still got the most People on it, so feels like it’s got widest
reach…
Now it’s the events organiser for teens
CMC 2014
31. Teens have quite a functional relationship with Twitter
– it’s a place to find information…
It’s for “following celebs and favourite football teams”
Easy to find friends and spread the word via hashtags
But nothing is private on twitter”, anyone can follow you
CMC 2014
32. “It’s for music, hobbies and funny stuff”
“You go for one thing and end up somewhere
totally different”
“See and hear things you never knew existed”
“It’s everything for everyone…whatever you want”
CMC 2014
33. Relaxed and chilled browsing” (teens upload less)
Easy to share with friends
Funny videos you can watch over and over
Have a selection of favourite Viners
CMC 2014
34. It’s about getting noticed
For my best photos, to see how good looking i am
It’s a thrill every time you post… will it get lots of likes or not?
Feels quite personal – feel they know everyone they’re
following (really?!)
In the moment and experiential
But you feel judged and rejected when photo isn’t liked
within 4 minutes!
CMC 2014
35. Only for my closest friends
Insight into the ‘everyday’ me
Capture that exact moment
Feels more special as it’s only limited time
You don’t have to worry about it being there in the future
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36. Constant chat, good to be part of it and keep up…always
something going on/to read
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37. For designers:
Improve ways they can highlight their popularity and
social status
Is there a way to reassure it’s safe to ‘share in the moment’?
For brands:
Make friends and get closer to your target audience
Via... More emotive social media - consider more visual mediums
By... Being real, truthful and transparent; not a corporate
Take down posts that don’t create a buzz
Communicate regularly and publicly
Maintain energy and dynamism...Keep the updates and NPD coming
How to be More Social
CMC 2014
40. Reply #2: twelve minutes after launch:
"Oh hell, that's pretty cool. I just dig around in the
ground a bit, and suddenly I'm in this underground
cave! Great sense of exploration already."
Reply #3: 15 minutes after launch
Comes from Increpare, the developer of the recently
released puzzle game English Country Tune.
”I hope you make something really good of this, dude; I
think it has a lot of potential."
First 15 Minutes of Minecraft
CMC 2014
I’m not sure everyone here will be a huge baseball fan, or have waded their way through Michael Lewis book where he talks about how an unfashionable team, the Oakland Raiders, with a tiny budget became serious contenders. The coach Billy Beane, selected unfashionable players who were undervalued against traditional metrics but showed value on other metrics such as their defensive capabilities.
In the world of entertainment having the most polished artwork, or beautiful narrative doesn’t guarantee success. So how by understanding data, such as your audiences media habits and search behaviour can you give your IP the best possible chance at winning this unfair game,
I’ll explain why its unfair shortly.
Sherbert are joining forces with Dubit and as part of this exciting strategic partnership we have combined to provide insight into how brands can launch, grow and sustain new IP extend the popularity of existing brands.
So far this study incorporates the opinions of over 5,000 families worldwide and growing and is split into three stages.
The first stage, which we presented at the New York Toy Fair in February, identified who your products first users may be and how to reach them. Unsurprisingly the teenage audiences showed the most intent to find exciting new technology and this presentation will focus on tweens and teens for that reason.
Please just give me a nudge if you would like a copy of this report
The second stage is the focus of today’s presentation, we will be looking at how you can make your brand findable, loveable and shareable
As the third part of our study, taking place over the next couple of months, we will be looking at how through product and marketing activities you can sustain and expand your IP. Part of that we presented last year at CMC on adapting heritage brands online, again if you want a copy of that report just come and find Nicki or I.
I mentioned that this was an unfair market, let me explain why we think that is true and then reveal the secrets on how to win.
It used to be that a controller, commissioner or syndicate would sift 5,000 ideas and select 2. You as the audience would then watch, read, listen and play.
But with the lowered barriers to content creation and the proliferation of platforms it is now easy for anyone to create, distribute and monetize content.
The result being that those 5,000 ideas are now sifted not only by a commissioner, but by your audience.
Your audience has become the commissioner
That means they are exposed to much more content, but what it doesn’t mean is that they ‘love’ any more brands or products than before the age of the audience commissioner, the result…
Is that it is harder to be found
Which means to be something the audience retains you need to become that ‘thing’ they want to love
This fragmentation is something that Chris Anderson explored in the Long Tail, which was summed up eloquently by an Amazon, the king of the long tail. Where as traditional retailers will focus on the head, selling lots of best sellers for example – depicted by the blue line, online retailers support the tail – the red line – which essentially means that they are selling lots of less read books for example.
This means that in this digital market higher volumes of sales are derived from lower volume products
So if there are higher volumes of sales occurring in the tail this would suggest that the big brands are making less money
However… Anita Elberse, in her book Blockbusters argues that the tail may be longer but in fact these higher volumes of sales do not translate into profit and she argues that the value sits more than ever at the head.
The big brands across each platform, Warner Bros, Sony, Disney, tell us what quality is and we as consumers, in this increasingly fragmented market, appreciate that advice,
They are like a steady, sane voice, amongst all the noise (who do kids listen to? Authority, but more than ever, peers)
So in fact those controllers that always existed still act as a hugely powerful filter
Despite the challenging environment, some brands have made it.
Digital is starting to monetise, really monetise.
The biggest celebs for kids aren’t just 1D, they are chaps sat in their bedroom
Digital brands beginning with M – who launched with simple, well constructed and well placed products
And the likes of Toca Boca who in the app store consistently compete with the big boys
And one of the main reasons for that is that they have harnessed kids changing media patterns.
Consumption of entertainment is constantly evolving, mobile, two screening, three screening, integrated play – they all lend on the fact that kids expect their entertainment to be where and do what they expect.
For example nearly a third of pre-school kids are now watching online video daily and whislt this is in some part at the extent of linear tv, it also offers extension patterns such as in transit.
Which raises the question does your idea need the traditional distribution model
And if not, how should you launch and become that ‘loved’ thing
In the next few slides we will be exploring
How kids find new content and with that in mind what you can do to make your brand easier to find
We will then look at their experience of your product, how they use and what you can do to make it become one of those few things they truly love enough to share
Finally we will look at how kids will actually share that content across the myriad of social networks and what you should be doing to make your brand easier to share
And with that let me hand over to Nicki…
So many ways they can find content
So many different ways if finding content
Wom and peer still key
Social media increasing
But the skill is findings different ways to sift through
lets look at a one way they are finding content via the yapp store
Using phones to filter for them - Using notifications on the iPhone to keep constantly updated – their way of filtering the huge amounts of people they follow etc
Splitting accounts to keep personal account from fan/celeb following accounts
So what does that mean for brands
Keep it consistent
Be visual, be concise, you’ve only got a few seconds to convince them
Communicate key hooks for early adopters straight away
Peer recommendation goes a long way with these guys – make it easy for them to share their ‘like’ for an app to friends?
Expect and demand a stream of constant change
New is aspirational,
Always want to be the first to have/tell something – it just makes you feel great
They want to feel something is constantly being improved
They want to look good in front of their mates
Gives them a buzz
Adrenalin rush!
Teens want to get away from parents, authority and policing…and younger kids
Want brands they can own
Some creating sub groups away from mates
Challenger brands working harder to get there
Ratio of followers to following is very important; you always have to have more followers than you are following (even if that means ‘friending someone’, getting them to follow you and then unfollowing them)
The number of likes you get per photo also critical
Highly managed online identity –
To increase popularity online you have to be very active – liking and posting a lot, putting up lots of good/aspirational photos and making nice comments on others photos
Want a 2 way relationship with the creators and designers of new apps, games and sites – they like to be included the set up and consulted on improvements to feel like they’ve had a part in its success
Want to feel free to be able to do what they want, when they want to
shows you’re really listening to them
There’s a sense you’re growing with them if they’re included in the process – and in return they’ll take you with them
Magcon - (MeetAndGreetConvention) is where you can meet some of your favorite Viners Youtubers etc. Some events are 2-3 days. VIP is $150, which includes a meet greet, (take pics with them and have them sign whatever you brought) an hour to mingle w. the boys personally or just watching the boys on stage, messing around, fun activities, performances etc.
Cha Cha tea …
so how can brands become more aspirational
For brands, you need to make it feel like a private members club:
Leak the information slowly and keep it confined to niche media outlets
Private launch to select few – make them feel special and needed
Then, keep it feeling ‘small’ – invitation only/capped no of members
For example if launching to teens keep the parents and kids out, or once they join, make kids and parents your target and develop something new for teens
There’s a big difference in the way they see for example the social media apps; from the very public (Twitter and FB) to the more private and personal (Snapchat and Instagram)
they’ll visit them all – a loop of checking!
The more personal, the closer the groups of friends on that social medium - the more influential and the more teens trust opinions...
Now let’s look at how kids see social media currently…
For gossip, it’s the mobile water cooler for gossip and chit-chat
(WHAT’S APP) The best way to chat, better than text or BBM. In large groups – constant chat, good to be part of it and keep up, you can be chatty online and shy in real life, always something going on/to read. 2000 messages if you’re away from it for 4 hours!
So how can w help these guys be ore social
Help them and show they ways to feel more popular
Reassure them it’s safe with no repercussions
And make it simple to share – so important to them
Be truthful, be visual and transparent – not a corporate
Put stuff up, create a buzz – if no buzz take it down
Update, innovate and keep the dialogue open with them
The key things that Nicki spoke about were…
Make them feel part of something unique, part of a club
Give them a platform to feedback and incorporate their feedback
Being clear and simple – communicating a key point of differentiation to your audience that is easy for then to understand and share
Some entertainmment brands that have harness these rules include
A band called Vulfpeck, who launched a 6 minute album called Sleepify on Spotify. It was entirely silent
What works about this:
Its disruptive, which gets it media coverage
It involves the audience, by making them feel part of something exclusive
It rewards and thanks the audience
I know right, I nearly got through without mentioning the M word to much.
But what they did from day one, is provided a platform to collect audience feedback.
And by talking with and understand these early adopters, seen here in the first 15 minutes,
They were able to turn that ‘just dig’ into something ‘really good’
What they did really well:
Simplicity – you mine and craft, minecraft
They listened
The collaborated
And they grew lots of exclusive communities
Most importantly they were honest and they did not hide from great, good and bad feedback – they embraced it
Finally be simple, and I quote the bible for this – Big.
Don’t create stuff for the sake of it, understand your audience and how they want to use a product
And most importantly remember that they only have 140 characters, or 6 seconds to share it, so the reason for using it has be really simple.
And the new social apps show simplicity at its bear bones
Yo, allows you to send ‘Yo’ to people that’s it
Emojli, allows you to send emoticons
Kids love this simplicity and next year who knows this may be how your brand is communicated!
Thank you for your time and if you have any questions, or want to find out more about Dubit Sherbert, Nicki and I are around all day so please come and find us.