TOTAL LICENSING
Embrace Innovation In the latest of his regular columns for Total Licensing, Gary Pope, CEO and Co-Founder of Kids Industries and Children’s Commissioner for Products of Change focuses on the benefits of innovation in the children’s entertainment business.
I’ve been talking to a lot of people lately, but the conversation invariably turns to the health of the wider children’s entertainment business and there’s not a lot of optimism held. It feels like we’re in the eye of the perfect storm, but I don’t need to tell you that. When the pressure’s on and survivalist capitalism reigns, few win. I’ve now seen four of these cycles in 25 years doing my job… which makes me quite old. Every time the economy wobbles in this way, the same things seem to happen. But there is one thing that seems to be more pronounced this time than on any of the previous three occasions; a focus on rebooting oncegreat franchises to shore up the numbers. I don’t believe in reboots. It’s lazy, the ambition that the rebirth of a once giant IP will rise again to its prior deitylike status, is always a forlorn hope. Throwing resources into the breach because someone at Head Office has said there’s a quarterly number to hit seems to me the definition of madness. The temporary bounce is always at the expense of sustainable growth. I get it though, honestly. Business has to survive. And while that’s especially true for the little guys, the big fish could, if they chose to, hedge some bets. And some do, but most don’t. So maybe we need to talk about the benefits of innovation over stagnation more. I have had this conversation with lots of people of late. There’s a realisation that this is the right thing to do, but those in the ivory towers tend to disagree. From where I sit, at the intersection of multiple industries, the reality is that it is not only advantageous but necessary to innovate out of recession. In rebooting, it’s easy to say we’re serving the need for nostalgia and that the kidult is important, but the kidult has always been important—we’ve just not called them that before. Retro
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is a powerful force, capable of drawing in audiences who wistfully remember the characters and stories of their youth.The hope is that some may even introduce these characters to their children, but most kids make their own choices thank you very much. And there’s a reason for that. We talk of brave new generations unlike any that have gone before, technologically connected, activist and emancipated young people who are smarter and more emotionally intelligent. And yet we give them the same old same old. Innovation trumps rebooting because it enables content and CP programs to evolve with changing times and societal values.Through this, creators reflect and respond to these changes, ensuring content remains relevant and resonant. And that, as any marketer will tell you, is the foundation of brand loyalty. By encouraging innovation, creators can explore untapped narratives, introduce diverse characters, and pioneer groundbreaking storytelling techniques that captivate and inspire young minds - making emotional connections that stay the course and develop fandom. And perhaps this is why
anime is rising—its richness, diversity, originality, energy etc., I could go on. Think about what’s really working right now and there’s not a reboot in sight. Creative and strategic freedom allows for bold experimentation and the creation of wholly original worlds and characters that have the potential to become the next cultural phenomena. Bluey for example, isn’t a reboot. Investing in innovation sends a powerful message to consumers, industry stakeholders, and the markets. It demonstrates a commitment to pushing boundaries, fostering talent, and driving forward. In an increasingly competitive market, where attention spans are short, and competition is fiercer than ever, innovation is not just a luxury, but a necessity for survival. Our economic system is built around the principle that a business can own and control the means of production and trade goods and services for profit in competitive markets. That need for control is what so often becomes corrupted. Control doesn’t mean doing the same thing repeatedly; it means leading. And I wish there was more of it. n