Independent Films launches online channel Kidspiration.TV as it moves from service provider to original content creator
Independent Films, the production and advertising company, has launched an online media channel created for kids to tap into an “underserved market” as the company moves into original content creation.
The ambition of Kidspiration.TV is to create a genre of programming for kids that marries interesting informed programming with Independent’s expertise in entertaining audiences through advertising. The company is hoping to tap into children aged 8 to 12, which it claims is “underserved”.
Jani Guest, co-executive producer of Kidspiration.TV and managing director of Independent Films, told The Drum: “The world that kids are now being exposed to is very different than my generation. Kids these days are being exposed to so much content that is not necessarily the kind of content that they should be exposed to or that is nourishing for them. The point [of Kidspiration.TV] is to put content out into the world that is both of those things.”
The channel will launch today (19 July) with an interview series, which will see children in the target demographic (8-12) interviewing individuals championing innovation and good doing including Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, primatologist Jane Goodall, the Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin, illustrator and author Liz Pichon, pioneering oncologist Dr. David Agus, gerontologist Dr. Aubrey DeGrey, playwright Enda Walsh, humanitarian and neurosurgeon Henry Marsh among others.
Today sees ten initial episodes of Kidspiration released, with future interviews set to be released weekly. The channel is co-executive-produced by Guest and media strategist Laura Galloway, who have worked closely with John Townshend, chairman of UK ad firm NOW to develop an original format and detailed vision for Kidspiration.
As well as hoping to raise the bar of content currently being served to children in its target demographic, Independent will offer brand partners an opportunity to sponsor the channel. This will not take the form of direct advertising since Independent “do not want to direct market to kids” Guest said, adding that “brands will find bigger value in showing that they support the wellbeing of children” through a channel partnership. It is up to the brand how those idents appear on the channel, with all brands featured being editorially independent.
Independent’s decision to move into original content production comes at a time when advertising companies are moving into ownership and exploitation of IP rather than just being a service provider.
“We all know the advertising business is changing immensely, and the models that we all worked in five or 10 years ago are beginning to shift. It seems the parameters that we all worked in and knew are falling away, which has had the tendency to make people nervous but it is also an amazing opportunity. What this kind of situation does is force us as a company to look at where our value is and what we can contribute in terms of the kind of content that we want to create.” Guest said.
“We wanted to think differently about the future of content and further shift part of our focus to content creation, one of our core strengths.
“We are a provider of content to brands and agencies but we can also create our own content. I think everyone in this business knows they can do this, and that we are not just limited to being a service provider, we can also put our own work out there.”
It’s why the channel will be online-only rather than feature on TV, so Independent could have complete ownership of the channel. If it were to distribute on TV, it would have to co-produce the content on behalf of a broadcaster.
Independent promises this venture is “the first of a series”, with other programmes and ideas in development, specifically focus on the eight -12 demographic where the company sees a gap in the market. Whether or not they will live on a broadcast platform or will live separate online is yet to be determined.
The company will market and distribute the channel via social media channels. The social media strategy is geared toward both kids and parents, but the approach is different for each. Kids in the 8-12 age range largely discover video content via Youtube, Galloway told The Drum, so it’s putting a “heavy emphasis” on development of this channel, as well as Snapchat. This will include video biographies of each of our young interviewers, as well as the interviews themselves. Its adult approach is more traditional; engaging with Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with content tailored for each.