Viral Learning: Edutainment is the New Entertainment
Key Trends in China's Edutainment sector - Singing Grass founder Alicia Liu in discussion with streaming platform Tencent Video and Chinese animation producers, hosted by the Children's Media Conference with UK Department of International Trade, 21 April 2020
China is a resilient nation, and after fighting Covid-19 for three months, life is slowly recovering. Sadly, that’s not to say it’s back to normal. New social distancing rules have marked a decided change in consumer behaviour and changed the demands for content. Yet, while many industries are stagnating, we believe there are still opportunities for growth in the IP industry in China. This is particularly the case in the children’s sector, where aspirational parents are buying content to support their children’s education.
Currently, China is the largest children’s market in the world both in terms of size and spending. Many parents are characterised as ‘True Believers’ in education, aiming to support their children’s learning in any way they can. This affects their buying behaviour as products traditionally pitched for entertainment now also need to clearly demonstrate their educational attributes.
One such example is Peppa Pig, a British children's cartoon character that has become a top cultural icon in China ever since its launch in 2012. Part of its success is due to the fact that the IP has been used extensively across children’s products - particularly home learning. One consistent best-seller - throughout the whole period of the Covid-19 lockdown - has been a multi-media set of Peppa Pig teaches you how to speak English from Phoenix Education Publishing. Learning English continues to be at the forefront of home education and this set of bilingual picture books, games, animations, songs, and language learning flashcards provided the perfect combination of entertainment and education, appealing to both parents and children.
Peppa Pig's success proves there is a popular demand for more seamlessly interwoven education and entertainment content in China, especially now when children are deprived of their usual learning opportunities at kindergarten or nursery. For international publishers, millennial Chinese parents are keen to introduce their children to content from a diverse international background. At this early age, children are also very curious and extremely open to new ideas. Whether through reading, playing or watching, they often quickly develop a strong attachment to the story and characters. As a result, this provides the opportunity for partnerships as many Chinese publishers are looking to develop engaging and creative international IPs as educational content.
On that note, I should mention that the epidemic has shifted many offline-resources to online models to sustain sales, creating a multitude of touchpoints that can be branded and used to engage children. In April 2020, Tencent video announced that the Kids Channel had become their second-largest user base. The company is explicitly looking to commission edutainment, combining the best of content that is both entertaining and educational.
New business strategies are emerging, and for content creators, this consumer desire for home-based learning and forced experimentation with online learning tools will reveal what works and what doesn’t for the Chinese IP industry.
If you are a great brand looking to further your presence in China, discovering your educational value and creating multiple touchpoints for your products is crucial for success.
If you would like to know more, please get in touch with us at info@singinggrass.com.
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Singing Grass is a business consultancy advising on access and development strategies for the Chinese market. We develop bespoke programmes for clients in the cultural and lifestyle sectors to connect them to new markets and maximise their potential in China.
www.singinggrass.com
