Maya Bharal – Junior Strategist at Kids Industries – on how fandom can elevate communities

Maya, thanks for making time. To kick us off, let’s talk fandom! What does fandom mean to you?
On a personal level, fandom has been a tool for identity-building. When I was younger, I was a huge fan of One Direction in the most conventional sense. I bought all the albums, watched all the content available online – interviews, compilations, 24-hour livestreams… You name it, I’ve probably seen it! I kept up to date on pretty much everything I could.

At that time, fandom felt more like a lifestyle that I engaged with daily. Now, it’s more of an identity marker; for every hyperfixation, every TV show, film, or artist I’ve loved, it feels like adding a new sticker to a collection that maps who I am. Each ‘sticker’ has helped me understand a different dimension of myself: what I value, how I see myself, and where I find belonging.

Most importantly, though, the Directioner sticker has taught me that if you can get concert tickets – twice! – while One Direction are in their prime, you can truly achieve anything.

Ha! And professionally?
Professionally, I think fandom’s greatest power lies in its ability to elevate communities. Whether it’s lifelong or a fleeting hyperfixation, fandom gives people a token of belonging and identity. It creates opportunities to connect with people we may never ordinarily have met – online spaces particularly serve as vital ecosystems for fan communities to flourish and thrive.

I think a brand’s role should be to honour and uplift these communities by truly listening to their needs. Fan service has to be meaningful; not just a box ticking exercise. When done correctly, it doesn’t just deepen loyalty, but also strengthens the cultural fabric that makes these communities so powerful.

Brands have a real opportunity – and responsibility – to create more spaces for fan communities to thrive. That means showing up with intention and purpose; supporting what already exists as opposed to co-opting it for a big PR moment that feels inauthentic or disjointed.

Terrific answer. Now, with no restriction on country or market sector, can you flag up one design trend you have noticed that you think will have an impact on the UK licensing market over the next year?
I’ve noticed a wider embrace of ‘weirdness’. Kids would call this ‘brainrot’, which for those who don’t know, captures the world of chaotic and bizarre short-form content. Think Skibidi Toilet, Ballerina Cappuccina… And if you don’t know what those are, then enjoy the journey into the dark internet rabbit hole you’re about to enter!

I think it’s interesting how the absurdity that was historically reserved for meme accounts or YouTube compilations is now bleeding into mainstream design and comms. We’re seeing brainrot aesthetics pop up across Australian suncream, cereal, and even legacy institutions like the RSPB’s TikTok.

It’s also showing up in collectibles, seen in the rise of Labubu’s and more recently, Fugglers. I think this reflects a broader shift in culture driven by young people – the idea that absurdity and playfulness = authenticity and confidence. We’re seeing a lo-fi, unpolished aesthetic permeating more and more, from branding to packaging to product design.

For the UK licensing world, I think there’s an opportunity to lean even further into this appetite for irreverence. It’s an invitation to swap polished branding for stories that are weirder, more chaotic, and inherently human.

Can you share with us one licensed product you have seen this year that you think ‘stands out’ from the crowd?
I think Labubu’s are a real standout licensed product for being a masterclass in making scarcity scalable. Labubus are only available at Pop Mart and in very limited quantities, so there’s a constant and cyclical sense of urgency and desire surrounding the blind box items. I think what also really makes them stand out is how they’ve transcended traditional audience boundaries. They’re not just toys for children; they’re fashion accessories, collectables, luxury-adjacent fandom badges, and TikTok unboxing stars.

This cross-generational, cross-cultural appeal is no small feat, and it’s powered by a shared love of surprise, ‘cuteness’ (albeit subjective!), and playful self-expression. It’s a powerful blend of emotional connection, ownership, and identity play, all of which align closely with several facets of our KI Fandom Model, particularly the ideas around community, and badging.

As of May this year, Pop Mart was valued at $34 billion, which is more than Hasbro, Mattel, and Sanrio combined. A big part of their success lies in how they’ve built a decentralised fandom that feels more like a lifestyle club than a typical product fanbase. In today’s world, you know you’ve made it when even the dupes have their own name – enter the “Lafufus”.

Before we wrap up, I wanted to ask about concerns that children are reading less. Do you have any ideas for how we can encourage children to read more?
I think it’s largely about making reading feel accessible, and removing any stigma that comes with reading something ‘non-traditional’. We know that young people are struggling with their mental health from as young as eight years old. There are indications from our own research that children often lean towards activities and hobbies that make them feel more relaxed, rather than something that demands high energy or overstimulation. Reading can be a powerful mental health tool in these moments where children seek calmness, but only if it’s easy to access.

For reading to feel fun and inviting, we need to embrace a more diverse range of formats. Traditional prose and poetry that’s part of school curriculum reading can make reading feel daunting and intimidating for some – especially those with SEND or other learning difficulties. If we only frame reading through those formats, we risk making it feel exclusive or like a chore.

That’s why I think it’s so important to show children that reading things like manga, graphic novels, or listening to audiobooks is still valuable. These formats are often more accessible, particularly for children who don’t naturally gravitate toward traditional books.

Recent research shows the gender gap in reading enjoyment is the widest it’s been in years, with boys half as likely as girls to read for pleasure, according to the National Literacy Trust. Offering a broader range of formats can help bridge that gap, and act as a gateway into other types of literature over time. It’s not about replacing the formats we already value, it’s about lowering the barrier to entry. Ultimately, reading needs to feel like it’s for everyone, not just the bookworms.

Great answer. Thanks again Maya!