Mind the Tech London 2024Moonbug CEO: "Children under 5 consume the same content all over the world"
Mind the Tech London 2024
Moonbug CEO: "Children under 5 consume the same content all over the world"
This is what René Rechtman, founder and CEO of Moonbug Entertainment said at Calcalist and Bank Leumi’s Mind the Tech London conference. "Technology has made it possible for platforms like YouTube and Netflix to control viewing time, so a lot of the old content has been left behind"
René Rechtman
(Photo: Alex Kolomoyski)
René Rechtman, founder and CEO of Moonbug Entertainment, spoke with Calcalist’s Sophie Shulman at Calcalist and Bank Leumi's Mind the Tech London conference, and revealed some of the secrets that earned his company global success in preschool content.
Moonbug is one of the largest content companies for children. How do you maintain your relevance?
"Flobal platforms Netflix and YouTube are the key to our success. At the same time, these platforms cover more than 90% of families with children under the age of 5 in the world. We try to create relevant content based on data and creativity, with strong values such as passion, empathy and resilience. These are global values, And they are reflected in every episode, in the story, in the narrative and in the music."
How many employees do you have to keep up with this high production rate?
"We have about 500 employees, but we work with 32 different animation studios around the world. In addition, every big production comes with a lot of freelancers."
How do you manage to work on so many platforms at the same time?
"Global platforms Netflix and YouTube are the key to our success. At the same time, these platforms cover more than 90% of families with children under the age of five in the world. We try to create relevant content based on data and creativity, with strong values such as passion, empathy and resilience. These are global values, and they are reflected in every episode, in the story, in the narrative and in the music."
How has content for children changed over the years?
"In the past, many of the programs were behind paywalls and in different formats than what children consume today. When technology allowed platforms like YouTube and Netflix to control the viewing time, a lot of the old content was left behind. We try to follow the data, the technology and the audience all the time."
How do you see the threat or opportunity in AI for content creation?
"AI makes it possible to create more content. I strongly believe that brands and franchises are the ones that will succeed in standing out. Parents and children will look for familiar brands and content."
What are your future plans for expansion?
"We are expanding into new areas such as games. Five to six years ago, there were hardly any three or four-year-olds who played. Today, they play simple learning games. We are also expanding into new age groups - from 6 to 8 and from 8 to 12. In addition, we are expanding our music activities."
What's the secret? How do you know what will work?
"There's really no secret; it's all about data. If you follow the data, the audience, and combine it with value creation, you have a better chance of success."
Rechtman emphasized that the key to success in the world of children's content lies in the combination of data, creativity and global values. In the digital age, the ability to reach a global audience through online platforms is critical, but equally important is to create quality and relevant content that will stand out in the ever-growing sea of content."
Watch the full exchange in the video above.
