Licensing Industry

My life is very ‘kidscentric’. In my role at Viacom Brand Solutions I get to think about kids in general – likes, dislikes, hopes, fears, aspirations, marrying them all with our Nickelodeon channels and advertisers. There are endless opportunities to pour through the latest studies commenting on kids behaviour.

At home I get to put all that theory into practice. My two girls are the guinea pigs for every type of toy imaginable which of course they welcome with open arms. I think as adults we tend to forget just how important play is in kids lives and how much time they spend with toys and games. These small people are ultimately the adults and the opinion formers of tomorrow. And everything that they learn and experience today forms their behaviour patterns in later life.

No surprises therefore that anyone seeking to engage kids in any way will come under some scrutiny from the regulatory powers that be. At Nickelodeon we believe we have a responsibility not just to entertain kids but also to inform them. We talk to them constantly about subjects that affect their daily lives and as a consequence if you tune into our channels you will see that we try to integrate these issues into our content. In the last 12 months we’ve featured health and exercise, environment and anti-bullying programme strands in an effort to do our bit for societal causes.

On a commercial level we’re also trying to reflect this message. We recently launched a new initiative – Force for Good - where we’re incentivising up to ten companies which have products or services that are ethically sound, for example recyclable, promoting healthy lifestyles, etc, to advertise on TV. The offer is to match their advertising investment pound for pound. This proves how committed we are to this cause.

I found it interesting and refreshing this year during the Toy Fair season to hear several companies talk about being Carbon Neutral, using recyclable packaging as well as product ranges that involve using recyclable goods in play. There are also a lot of standard products out there that are educational, encourage activity and of course a whole range of outdoor toys which promote exercise. Advertising these types of brands with positive brand messages gives kids great exposure to these issues.

Ultimately though, every toy company (Carbon Neutral or not) needs to shift product and maximising sales to get by. Fortunately for us, the toy industry understands the key role TV advertising plays in achieving these objectives. The relationship kids have with our channels is a very strong two-way dialogue.

It’s one that proves to be profitable for all parties – advertisers, broadcasters and kids themselves. Just ask my daughters.