British firm Mind Candy has registered more than 80m children for its Moshi Monsters virtual world on the web, turning it into a big brand through merchandise, toys, a feature film and even music in the process. Now, though, the company is trying something new in the mobile apps space: an app called PopJam that’s essentially Instagram reimagined for 7-13 year-olds. “Kids don’t have their own app where their voice and creativity can be heard, so they are joining up to grown-up social networks in their droves. Facebook, Tumblr, Snapchat and Instagram in particular are hugely popular with kids,” said CEO Michael Acton Smith, unveiling the new app at the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield. The interesting thing about PopJam is its ‘channels’ of images around set themes, from cats to ‘LOL’. But they can also be for brands: Lego, Adventure Time, Minecraft and Doctor Who for example. Music? There’s a One Direction channel already, but potential for more: if we were running marketing for a band with a youthful audience, we’d be looking into PopJam.
Tools: platforms to help you reach new audiences
Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…