Rachael Simpson-Jones takes a deep dive in the Q4 marketing space to find out how the pandemic, stock shortages, viewing habits and more are impacting marketing plans.

In previous years, Toy World’s annual look at pre-Christmas advertising campaigns has focused on broadcast kids’ TV, but the times, they are a-changin. In the same way that it accelerated a major shift to eCommerce among retailers and consumers, the pandemic has accelerated a shift to digital viewership that was already taking place long before Covid.

The piece features generous expert input from Generation Media, KidsKnowBest and Azure Media. Tristan Brooks, managing partner & head of Client Services, Azure Media, pointed out: “With kids at home over the lockdowns, parents invested more in technology and media services to keep themselves and their kids connected, educated and entertained. This means kids are now spending more time with the media platforms they enjoy, as well as discovering new content as their media worlds expanded. Viewing is unlikely to shift back, so advertisers need to understand how their media worlds have evolved to be able to reach, interact and engage them.”

Jon Chambers, director of AV Investment at Generation Media explained that, in the first six months of this year, kids’ TV channels reported a combined decline of -25% YOY in terms of commercial impacts. And according to Generation Media’s business director of Digital, Felix Lewis, the biggest recipients of audience migrating away from children’s TV were SVOD platforms such as Netflix and Disney+. “In the latest wave of data, however, (April 2021), we are witnessing general viewing fatigue across all platforms as viewers become more time poor. SVOD’s lead has been eroded to 29% and Live TV has gained share,” he added.

Rob Lough, co-founder and chief brand officer at KidsKnowBest, says that the pandemic has created ongoing behavioural change, in terms of marketing. “With competition hotting up and the route to market becoming far easier for smaller brands through digital with direct to consumer, we are seeing October and even September marking the start of the Christmas push.”

Our experts also discussed how supply chain problems are likely to mean increased flexibility and shorter lead times in terms of marketing plans, with cost viable alternatives across the digital spectrum coming to the fore, led by YouTube.

With more on how marketers can adapt to the current situation, and maximise their promotional budgets, read the full article, which appeared in the September edition of Toy World. We also detail how a number of major players within the toy industry are marketing their lines this festive season.