Welcome to the age of the empowered kidult. The fandom is in charge now – and even the smartest brands are figuring it out, says Peter Jenkinson, founder of The Kidults
In the July issue of TnP, Peter Jenkinson, founder of The Kidults, explores the power of kidult fandoms and how the best brands are working with their audiences, rather than dictating to them.
“That moment in every brand meeting where someone in a good shirt says something like, ‘We need to understand what adult collectors are looking for’,” he says. “And every kidult within earshot – sprawled across Reddit threads, TikTok comment sections, Discord servers and convention queues – would like that person to know they’ve already told you. Loudly. Repeatedly. Sometimes with spreadsheets.
“Welcome to the age of the empowered kidult. Not just consumers, but curators, critics, co-creators and, if you get it badly wrong, a very decent PR disaster.”
Read the full column below: https://issuu.com/lemapublisihng/docs/toys_n_playthings_july_2026/58
