NEW RESEARCH REVEALS FANDOM IS A FAMILY AFFAIR – AND BRANDS ARE MISSING A TRICK

New research from full-service family marketing experts Kids Industries (KI), reveals that fandom is no longer a solo pursuit. Families today aren’t just consuming together – they’re actively sharing, shaping and spreading the fandoms they love across an ever-widening range of categories.

 

 

In a major UK and US study of 2,000 respondents, the insight-led agency found that:

• 75% of families actively share fandom moments
• Only 1% of parents say they’re always the one introducing new fandoms – in 89% of families, discovery is either shared or driven by kids
• Families who share fandoms are significantly more likely to buy merchandise, engage online and recommend brands to others

 

These “fandom families” are more engaged at every touchpoint. Compared to solo child fans, families who co-fan are:

• 33% more likely to watch official shows and films
• 18% more likely to play with toys or physical games
• 16% more likely to wear branded apparel
• 5% more likely to attend live brand experiences

 

These findings challenge outdated notions of how fandoms function – who drives them and how experiences are enjoyed.

 

The global brand licensing industry – spanning everything from toys and t-shirts to theme parks and publishing – is worth over $369.6 billion (Licensing International, 2024). Families who share fandoms are significantly more likely to engage with these consumer products across categories, turning brand love into sustained spend.

 

Gary Pope, CEO and co-founder of Kids Industries, says:

“When we think of fans, we often think of the superfan or ‘geek’. But fandom is increasingly something that lives in the home, that’s shared between generations, and that families actively celebrate together. That makes them brand amplifiers – and brands need to take that seriously.”

 

To coincide with the new research, KI is repositioning itself as The Family Fandom Agency – a move that reflects both its heritage and the future of brand engagement. Each member of the family – young, old or somewhere in between has fandoms that KI is setting
out to nurture and develop for its wide range of clients.

 

To help brands understand and activate this behaviour, KI uses its proprietary KI Fandom Model™ – a strategic tool designed to identify what makes a ‘real fan’ and how brands can nurture and grow that fandom over time.

 

Pope:

“We’ve been the creators of fans for over 20 years – today we’re formalising it. By formally putting Fandom at the very heart of everything we do, we’re reframing the full-stack offer we’ve always delivered – Insight, Strategy and Creative – for the new commercial landscape. Our simple mission is to deliver life-fulfilling experiences for fans of all ages everywhere.”

 

The repositioning brings together all three of KI’s core offerings under a single fan-first lens, giving clients an end-to-end solution for building meaningful, long-lasting relationships with modern families.

 

Fandom, in this context, refers to a brand’s ability to turn consumers into passionate, loyal advocates who actively participate in, share and shape the brand experience – from merchandise and memes to family rituals.

 

Jelena Stosic, Strategy Director at KI:

“Fandom is often seen as deeply emotional – and it is. But it’s also something you can shape, and nurture. With the right insight, brands can design for it in ways that are meaningful, not mechanical. That’s what our work enables.”

 

To support this evolution, KI is launching a suite of new fandom-focused services, including:

• Bespoke family fandom workshops and training
• Tailored research studies to help brands measure and grow their fan base
• Client-specific presentations of this year’s Fandom Study
• A free download of its proprietary KI Fandom Model™

 

Internally, the agency has also completed a full training programme across its team to embed fan-first thinking at every level.

 

Pope says:

“Fandom isn’t just emotional anymore – it’s expressive, social and powerful. When families become real, life-long fans, they tell your story for you – what could be better than that?”