Gen-Z Parents Opps: Spin Master increasing paid social spend

Toy and entertainment company Spin Master (SM) is primarily promoting Digital Now, which represents 50% of its US marketing mix, and will continue doing so in 20211 with a digital-first strategy. Execs reported in its latest earnings call that in 2020, marketing spend dropped but marketing ROI doubled from previous years. This year, its marketing spend will pick back up.

According to iSpot, SM's YTD TV spend of approximately $2.1m marks a 22% drop from the approximately $2.7m it had spent by this point last year. The company spent approximately $18.4m on this channel in 2020, triple the approximately $6.3m it spent in 2019. SM's 2021 commercials have targeted kids watching programs such as The Amazing World of Gumball, SpongeBob SquarePants, PAW Patrol, The Loud House and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

So far this year, Pathmatics reports the company has allocated roughly $314.5k toward digital ads, up 16% from the roughly $270.7k it allocated within the same 2020 timeframe. SM's estimated full-year 2020 spend dropped by 30% to $3m from that of $4.3m in 2019. It has earned around 47.8m digital impressions YTD via Instagram (97%), Facebook (2%) and desktop display (1%) ads.

Additionally, Magallan reveals SM has aired three podcast ads within the past 12 months.

As you can see, the aforementioned drop in 2020 spend isn't visible in SM's national TV spend; however, the company seems to be shifting toward digital channels instead. By relying so heavily on Instagram advertising, the company's targeting Gen-Z along with kids. SM specifically targets parents. Per Kantar, it started also investing in print media in 2020.

Agency & martech readers - SM doesn't currently show signs of upcoming agency reviews, so read elsewhere for now. Right now, it works with creative and digital AOR The Variable and PR AOR Zeno NY. An in-house team splits media duties with Initiative Los Angeles.