Former Hasbro Researcher Launches Kids Brands Insight

In the UK, youth brand and marketing specialist Steve Reece has launched a consumer research agency called Kids Brand Insight, offering qualitative research for the toy, gaming and children's entertainment sectors.

Reece (pictured) began his MR career with Discovery Research, before joining gaming software firm Activision in a brand marketing role. He then spent more than six years at Hasbro, starting as the firm's in-house market researcher conducting discussion groups and interviews with kids and parents, and managing pan-European quant tracking studies. From there, he led brand management for Monopoly, Cluedo, and Trivial Pursuit DVDs, as well as many other classic board games brands, before launching two start-up games businesses.

Kids Brand Insight started out as a consumer insight service offered through Reece's firm Vici Entertainment, a consultancy to toy, game and kids entertainment companies; but grew to the point where it needed its own standalone identity and team. The new firm will offer testing of concepts, finished products, packaging, gameplay, passive and interactive entertainment content, and more.

Commenting on the launch, Reece said: 'Our promise is no fluff, just hard hitting consumer insight combined with the practical inside knowledge that comes from having worked in brand marketing, commercial and senior management roles in the industry. Thus far, we've worked extensively across toys, games, TV, virtual worlds and apps. We're looking to build on this with the official launch of Kids Brand Insight.'

Web site: www.kidsbrandinsight.com .