Claudia Scott-Hansen, Co-founder of Cookbook Media
Cookbook Media is a Global Agency specialized in bringing Kids & Family IP to market through multi-platform content distribution and franchise activation. Claudia Scott-Hansen, Co-founder of the company spoke with Señal News about the importance of create tailored strategies for each IP.
How could you describe Cookbook Media and What needs does the company satisfy in the current entertainment landscape?
"Cookbook Media is a boutique agency focused on helping studios and brand and IP owners develop and monetize their properties. We have been fortunate to work with a unique set of partners in 2021 from different parts of the world, developing and executing franchise-building strategies including the distribution of shows, digital media and consumer products. There is so much talent in our industry, and we’re excited to bring a variety of original voices and timely projects to the table. We’ve been specializing in working with partners to develop and bring their new IP to market, but we’ve also been re-inventing established IP in the digital space - such as the popular chapter book series for girls, 'Rainbow Magic'. We’ve also been working with a new entrant into the content space, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, which is exploring content partnerships to reach beyond its current audience and build upon its historic, aspirational brand."
Which kind of IP's do you develop? What values they must have?
"At the core of all the shows we represent are engaging characters and fun stories relatable to kids everywhere. The location might be recognizable, or set in a parallel timeline like in our sci-fi adventure 'Aiko and the Masters of Time', or in a futuristic city such as our characters in 'Chase & CATCH', but the themes they cover are universal. Kids want discovery, entertainment and humor, and they want characters they can aspire to. In 'Chase & CATCH' our lead character, Kenzo, becomes the youngest detective in the Vivacity force and struggles with acceptance and the impact of social media, all the while learning how to work with a partner (even if that partner is an AI robot which doesn’t understand humans). In another of our shows in development, 'Ella, we share the thrill of exploring a new culture and location with best friends, while appreciating what makes you special, and what makes all of us the same."
Cookbook Media offers a "recipe for success". May you explain me more about it?
"Our combined 50+ years of experience working on some of the most famous properties in the entertainment industry gives us a unique perspective and connection to the different ways to make a new project successful. No two properties are alike and each one has its own unique path for connecting with fans and consumers. We work to develop a custom strategy for each project, from seeding the commercial aspects into a show in development to creating and executing a franchise plan to connecting with partners through well established relationships with broadcasters and licensing partners. We see it very much like a chef selecting different ingredients to create an amazing new dish!"
What balance could you make about this year and Which are your main goals for 2022?
"We have been fortunate to work with a unique set of partners in 2021, developing and building strategies on IPs with different mediums, missions and demos – from pre-school to sci-fi to K-dramas and anime. We will be presenting some new projects at the 2022 markets, starting with Kidscreen in February. We will continue to build franchise plans for our partners’ IPs across different platforms, with an eye towards extensions in short-form and L&M plays. But our focus has not rested just on the development and distribution of shows; we have been exploring some of the growing opportunities in digital media, including TikTok and NFTs, as both standalone and incremental revenue streams. And we will continue our work to bring more original voices to the table. There is so much talent in our industry, although talented creators and IP holders are sometimes unable to find partnerships to bring it to life. The studios we are working with are, most often, developing their own IP for the first time."
By Romina Rodriguez