Senior hires will enable the creative agency to continue the growth of its global research platform and facilitate collaboration between brands and the next generation of content creators.
L-R: Ed Hallinan Rhodes, Helen Lockett and Thomas Fink, who have all joined KidsKnowBest.
KidsKnowBest, the creative agency with a focus on youth, is continuing its expansion with two new senior hires: Thomas Fink, who joins as data and AI consultant; and Helen Lockett, who takes up the role of associate research director. It has also appointed Ed Hallinan Rhodes – a content marketer with 10-plus years’ industry experience – as strategy director.
Thomas’ appointment is part of the company’s plan to expand Nougat, its proprietary global research platform which lets brands tap into insights into what kids are thinking and feeling about the things which matter to them in real time. Thomas joins from Arla Foods, where he was senior strategy & design consultant and takes up his new role later this month.
Helen also joins in June after spending three years at Discovery Research, where she was a senior research manager and quantitative lead for the specialist kids and youth division, The Hub. Among the brands she has consulted for are the BBC and the BookTrust, and she has been published in the Children’s Media Yearbook.
KidsKnowBest chief strategy officer Pete Robinson said: “It is important that we continue to recruit world class research and data experts to support our growth. We look for professionals who are passionate about the world of kids media and entertainment, but also challenge traditional methods in how we speak with and listen to young audiences. I’m excited to be welcoming the experience of Helen and Thomas to the KidsKnowBest family and continuing to push boundaries on how kids’ voices inform the industry that serves them.”
In his new role as strategy director, Ed Hallinan Rhodes will work on content strategy for KidsKnowBest projects, and will head up a new division launching this year called 9:16, which will facilitate collaboration between brands and the next generation of content creators. He joined KidsKnowBest in May from Jump, part of Havas Media UK, where he was business director.
Ed said: “If there was one defining trend I’ve witnessed over the last couple of years working with brands, it’s the need to cut through with a younger audience. It’s easy to see why; from pioneering environmental and cultural activism, broadening youth suffrage, the rise of gaming and the evolution of social media, the next generation has never had a stronger platform. KidsKnowBest has a much greater understanding of this audience and habits than I’ve ever seen before. It’s a really exciting time to be joining and creating authentic content with real impact, not just for young people, but inspiring a much wider audience by amplifying their voices.”
