The Insights Family

The industry came together on Tuesday at the Licensing Awards 2025 for a fantastic evening to celebrate the power of great licensing! ✨ 🏆 CoComelon took home The Insights Family’s What Kids Love Award — the only consumer-voted category at the Licensing Awards, recognising the brand with the strongest purchase intent among UK kids aged 3–12 over the past year. Helen Genia, Head of Consumer Products International at Moonbug Entertainment, said: “Winning the What Kids Love award, the only category voted for by kids, demonstrates the strong connection UK families have with the franchise. Our team will continue partnering with amazing licensees and retailers to bring CoComelon to life through incredible products and experiences in the UK and beyond.” Tom W., The Insights Family, added: “Cocomelon’s rise is especially inspiring… proof that digital-born IPs can now stand shoulder to shoulder with legacy franchises.” 👏 A huge moment for CoComelon and everyone at Moonbug Entertainment! Read the full release here: https://lnkd.in/dkV4VduJ

We’re so proud to be named a finalist for Marketing Research Supplier of the Year at Quirk's Media Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards. Tom W., our CEO, says “Our goal has always been to give brands a true understanding of kids and families, offering not just the data but the stories and trends behind it. Being recognised by Quirk's Media is especially meaningful because it reflects the impact of our insights in the real world.” Since 2017, we have helped leading brands be the chosen brand that kids love, and parents trust, delivering independent, real-time insights into how kids, teens, and parents think, connect, consume, and choose. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/dMUAbcJ6

Demand for licensed toys and games is rising, with License Global’s latest Top 100 Global Licensors report valuing the category at $43.7 billion. 🔎 Our real-time data shows a 63% increase in purchase intent among teens from Q2 2024 to 2025 who express wanting to buy toys and games in relation to their favourite characters. In our recent webinar, we explored the most popular IPs among 15-18s, where all of the top 10 debuted before the year 2000. This trend highlights a growing wave of nostalgia among Gen Alpha, who are engaging with legacy brands they never experienced first-hand. 👉 Watch the full on-demand webinar to uncover more insights into licensed product demand and regional preferences: https://lnkd.in/d_-yNt_r

To stay relevant with kids today, brands and licensors need to show up where they play, and that includes Roblox - the favourite video game on mobile among 3-to-12-year-olds in the US. The platform recently launched a new licensing programme, letting IP holders team up with creators to reach its massive, growing audience. But which IPs actually resonate with #Roblox players? We looked at fresh data (April–July) from US kids aged 3-12 to find out. ❤️🔥 Roblox fans are far more likely to also love SpongeBob, a brand already thriving on the platform; proof that if you want to stay top of mind, your IP needs to live where kids spend their time. 💡 Only two of the top five favourite characters among Roblox players originated in video games (Sonic and Super Mario), showing that success on Roblox isn’t just for gaming IPs. It’s also a low-cost way for non-gaming brands to extend into digital play. 📢 Scooby-Doo’s presence in the top five hints that Roblox can also reignite interest in older franchises. And it’s not just IPs: brands like Nike rank high too among this audience, pointing to big opportunities for retailers. 🌐 Our data also links in-game brand presence with increased word-of-mouth and purchase intent, showing that online presence effectively translates to real-life actions. 👉 Discover the latest licensing opportunities across regions in our latest report: Power Moves in Licensing 2025: https://lnkd.in/e-aQTy8U

Understanding today’s parents is as crucial as knowing what their kids want. In 2025, rising cost-of-living pressures, evolving media habits, and shifting developmental priorities are reshaping how families play, spend, and connect, which impacts product choices at home. In our latest article published in the August edition of Toys n Playthings: 💰 30% of parents top concern is finance/money - up from 15% just 4 years ago. This shift is driving more intentional spending: parents now favour products that contribute to their child’s well-being and development, not just keep them occupied. 🔎 Social media is increasingly being used for research on products: 18% more parents than a year ago do so, with YouTube (87%), Facebook (85%) and Instagram (81%) being the most visited platforms weekly. Read the full article on our website for more insights: https://lnkd.in/dhMBJR4z

Brand discovery patterns vary by age, so brands need the flexibility to adapt their approach accordingly. 🔎 In our latest licensing webinar, Adam Woodgate and Jack Day laid out the top platforms/sources of brand discovery for these audiences, highlighting key differences between the two: - Gen Alpha discovers new brands/content mainly through friends, with the playground/school being a hotbed for sharing information. - TikTok takes the lead among Gen Z, followed by Instagram. Social media has evolved from a passive source of quick, short content consumption, to a rich source for brand discovery. 👉 Identifying kids' main brand discovery channels will help you support your marketing decisions, reaching kids where they are at different stages of their childhood; watch the full on-demand webinar here for more insights: https://lnkd.in/dwiaC4vh

The Skydance–Paramount merger presents exciting opportunities for the future of kids’ media. Nickelodeon remains the leading linear TV brand among kids aged 3-12 across surveyed countries (16%), and when combined with Skydance Animation’s partnership with Netflix (the top streaming platform for this audience at 41%) the merger positions both companies to expand their reach across traditional television and digital streaming platforms. The opportunities are not limited to distribution but to content creation as well, as Adam Woodgate, VP Research Solutions suggests, "Mixing Skydance Animation’s partnership with Nickelodeon’s library of established franchises and studio capacity could lead to new Nick-Netflix co-productions; revivals of IP such as Rugrats, Dora the Explorer and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with modern visual styles." Considering that an average of 45 out of the 50 most-loved IPs among kids across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC were released before 2010, now may be the perfect moment for a heritage IP revival. 👀

Nearly half of UK children aged 6–15 say they’re excited about AI, and one in three use it daily. #AI tools empower them to bring their ideas to life and share them with peers on social and gaming platforms like #Roblox, revolutionising how they create, interact with, and consume content. In our latest article, we explore kids' attitudes towards AI in the UK as they grow up, and the implications for the media, entertainment, and content creation industry. 💡 Key highlights: - Usage of AI tools shifts across age groups, peaking at 49% among kids aged 13-15. From casual interest at a younger age to intentional use among teens, AI is providing kids with the tools needed to express and share their creativity. - The platforms where kids already spend time is where AI will thrive: #YouTube, gaming platforms, and #TikTok provide fertile ground for kids to experiment with and get feedback on their AI creative outputs, driving engagement. - Addressing kids' AI-related worries will be key to stand out: creating educational content on the safe use of AI tools and teaching them how to avoid drawbacks of over-reliance on AI - such as skill erosion - can empower the next generation of innovators. Want to know more? 👉 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dS3HKd2i

Following the Lionesses’ second consecutive #UEFA European Championship title on Sunday, football engagement among girls is set to compound. In just five years, the percentage of girls aged 5-15 who say they haven’t engaged with football has dropped by nearly 40%, pointing to growing interest both on and off the pitch. Media and content consumption growth since 2020: 👁️ Watching live at venues is up 79%, watching live online is up 72%, and watching on TV is up 44%, reflecting increased appetite for matchday experiences, whether at the stadium or streamed at home. 📱 Following on social media has increased by 78%, showing demand for behind-the-scenes content and player stories, with interest in highlights also up 44%. 📑 Reading about football is on the rise, up 40% online and 22% in print, indicating growing curiosity and interest beyond just watching the game. As engagement grows, brands have an opportunity to connect through sponsorships, partnerships, and product development: 🛍️ Team merchandise: Nearly 75% have bought (or want to buy) team-branded clothing and accessories. ⚽ Play & collect culture: 44% are interested in sports-related toys, games, and board games and 28% books, magazines, and comics. 😋 Snack favourites: Girls who engage with football are more likely than average to choose McVitie’s, Kellogg’s, Cadbury’s, and Walkers as their top picks. With sustained success on the pitch, growing visibility across media and retail, and the UK government’s announcement of a new women’s sport taskforce to lead a decade of change through to the #FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2035, the shift in engagement is expected to accelerate.

Localisation is a key driver of brand success, and our CEO, Tom W., explored exactly how brands can get it right in a session in partnership with The Toy Association earlier this year at the New York Toy Fair.🔎 👉 Download the presentation slides for actionable insights on #localisation strategies that resonate with local cultures, and why these matters: https://lnkd.in/dgYk7xsx