Kids Going Steady
Anne Becker
Broadcasting and Cable
March 10, 2008
The kids' upfront presentations start this week with
Nickelodeon, and signs point to a marketplace that's
flat to slightly up, as it has been in recent years.
Last year, the kids' market dragged into the summer as
haggling over metrics—whether to include DVR
viewing—took its toll. But the market finished its
strongest in several years to just under $1 billion.
This year it's still challenged by consumer activists'
complaints about fast food advertisers, but continues to
profit from theatrical movie ads.
Although a recession could affect the broadcast upfront,
and that of the adult-targeted cable networks, kids'
networks would likely be shielded from its effects for
one big reason: Christmas comes but once a year, and
parents still believe in Santa.
Advertisers always fight for a limited number of slots
in the holiday season, the weeks before Easter and the
start of school. Says Daniel Barnathan, president of
4Kids, the company that this year will program Saturday
kids' shows for the CW and Fox, buyers who opt out of
holiday spots during the upfronts could pay dearly
later—as much as 15% more—if they try to buy in a
scatter market.
Because of that, networks are bullish heading into their
presentations.
Nickelodeon, which presents March 13 in New York's
Hammerstein Ballroom, will stress its omnipresence; last
year Nick laid plans to co-brand 20 new hotels with
Marriott, as well as get into the cruise business. It
also plans more live tours with its stars.
The network commands more than half of the kids' upfront
dollars and projects that this year spending from
“nontraditional” advertisers—those targeting adults as
well as kids—will be up 50% during the upfront.
That's because it expects to bring on new partners in
adult categories, like automotive, financial and
insurance, with family-focused programming. Last year it
did deals with new partners including Chrysler, Royal
Caribbean and Hertz.
“We're taking the Nickelodeon brand to higher and higher
heights and making it more about kids, but also kids and
families,” says Jim Perry, executive VP of ad sales for
Nickelodeon and MTV Networks' Kids and Family Group.
Cartoon Network, which presents April 3, will stress its
more sophisticated fare like its new Star Wars: The
Clone Wars series, which debuts in August. Cartoon wants
to involve advertisers in that project. In its growing
digital sector, this summer it plans its first massive,
multiplayer online game (MMOG), “Fusion Fall.”
“Digital has become no longer just an afterthought,”
says Beth Goss, executive VP, Cartoon Network Ad Sales,
Marketing & Enterprises.
The network's digital sales have been largely tied to
individual programming initiatives, but she says now
Cartoon is cutting digital deals throughout the year.
“It's a key component to our relationships with our
partners and as we look to the upfront and build plans
with our sponsors, it's a key component to our deals.”
Disney, which presents April 9, will focus on how the
company leverages TV, online, radio, publishing and
other media to make franchises out of its properties and
megastars out of its young talent. It will feature a
presentation from Demi Lovato, the 15-year old star of
the new show Camp Rock.
Disney Channel isn't ad-supported but it's cable's
most-watched network, and executives will stress the
popularity of the brand across digital and other
platforms that are ad supported. Also part of the
pitch—kids' and families' emotional connection to the
brand.
Says Tricia Wilber, executive VP Disney Media
Advertising Sales and Marketing Group, “It's about
giving our advertisers and clients a sneak peek and
pulling back the curtain in terms of our talent and how
we do this and build this connection and make these
stars as opposed to a traditional sales presentation.”