KidZania CMO Rahul Dhamdhere on brand development in the edutainment industry

KidZania is unique and interactive indoor theme park that empowers, inspires and educates kids through real-life role-playing activities. In this interview with Adgully, Rahul Dhamdhere, Chief Marketing Officer, KidZania India, speaks about their immediate priorities and plans for execution. The CMO emphasizes on the company’s investment in building brand partnerships, conducting market research, and creating new digital avenues to reach a larger audience. He also discusses the challenges of marketing an edutainment brand in India and the plans to address them through targeted marketing strategies, collaborations with educators and schools, and creating new educational programmes that align with the curriculum.

Dhamdhere also emphasizes on the importance of innovation in the edutainment industry and KidZania's impact on children's learning and development worldwide, their plans to collaborate with other industry players to enhance KidZania's offerings and create a more engaging experience for visitors. Excerpts:

As the Chief Marketing Officer of KidZania India, what would be your immediate priorities, and how do you plan to execute them?

One of the key areas in which I will be invested at KidZania is reaching out and building our brand partnerships further. We look forward to having more brands on board and providing exciting experiences for families and children who visit us. We are already engaged in some interesting conversations, and soon our visitors will hear updates regarding more partnerships.

We also plan to conduct extensive market research to better understand our target audience and develop a comprehensive brand strategy. We have a strong digital presence and look forward to creating new avenues to reach a larger audience, as well as reconnecting with our existing customer base. For example, we plan to explore YouTube as a platform to create content for children. Currently, all of our channels communicate with parents. It will be exciting to recreate some of our content and publish it on YouTube to engage children.

Could you elaborate on your experience in brand development and rebranding? How do you plan to apply those skills to KidZania's brand strategy?

KidZania is a well-established global brand, with parks in 26 cities across 23 countries. While our primary brand guidelines are well defined across all parks, I look forward to incorporating local essence into our branding and communication, in order to make us more relatable and resonate better with our audience.
With my expertise in brand development and rebranding, gained from working with several notable brands in my previous stints, I am confident that my team and I can establish a strong and distinctive brand identity for KidZania.

What do you consider as the biggest challenge in marketing an edutainment brand like KidZania in India, and how do you plan to address it?

Marketing an edutainment brand like ours in India presents a major challenge in striking the right balance between education and entertainment. Our brand focuses on promoting learning and creativity, but many parents prioritize academic achievement. Fortunately, times are changing, and an increasing number of parents and schools are exploring experiential learning. We plan to reach more parents and schools through a targeted marketing strategy that highlights our educational benefits while emphasizing fun and engaging activities for children.

We will continue to work closely with educators and schools to develop educational programmes that align with the curriculum. Our goal is to establish KidZania as a brand that supports academic growth and development while providing an enjoyable experience for children. KidZania is one of the most preferred and frequently visited destinations for school trips. In March alone, we hosted 30,000 students from BMC schools at our Mumbai Park. We look forward to partnering with even more schools this year.

How important do you think innovation is in the edutainment industry? What kind of innovation would you like to bring to KidZania India to attract more customers and retain existing ones?

Innovation is vital in the edutainment industry to keep the experience engaging and relevant for customers, especially with so many entertainment options already available. KidZania aims to focus on integrating technology, developing new educational programmes, and introducing new role-plays. Our focus will be on using augmented and virtual reality to make the experience more immersive and unique, while working closely with educators to align with the latest trends and advancements. Overall, we believe that innovation is critical, and we are committed to introducing new experiences and programmes that attract new customers and keep visitors coming back for more.

On a global scale, we have already introduced KidZania 4.0 under the name Kinezis, a concept that combines exercise, health, and entertainment for visitors of all ages.

KidZania aims to provide an authentic and powerful developmental platform for kids. Could you tell us about the impact that KidZania has had on children's learning and development across the world?

At KidZania, we take pride in offering an immersive and interactive developmental platform for children worldwide. Our real-world scenarios teach valuable life skills, including financial literacy, teamwork, and the exploration of different professions. Our role-play experiences are designed to develop problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills, while building confidence and self-esteem in children. Our activities encourage social and emotional development, making children responsible and productive members of society.

In India, we have had over one million children role-play as a surgeon, with over eight lakh each as a pilot and logistics expert, respectively. We remain committed to providing an authentic and engaging experience.

How do you plan to collaborate with other industry players to enhance KidZania’s offerings and create a more engaging experience for visitors?

As previously mentioned, partnering with more brands to bring new experiences to KidZania is a critical focus area for us this financial year. We plan to collaborate with leading brands and institutions to develop new educational programmes aligned with the latest trends and advancements. By collaborating with experts in various fields, we aim to create unique and valuable experiences that meet the evolving needs of our visitors.

Additionally, we will partner with technology companies to integrate the latest technologies and create more interactive and immersive experiences. We believe that technology can play a significant role in providing a more engaging and educational experience for children.

Furthermore, we aim to collaborate with community organisations and nonprofits to promote social responsibility and environmental sustainability. Together, we can create programs that encourage children to become responsible and active members of their communities.

Partnering with us also benefits brands immensely as KidZania provides a unique experiential platform to engage with their audience. Children are undoubtedly passive and sometimes active influencers in many family decisions. The immersive role-play format ensures that the child is engaged with the partner brand during the focused 20-25 minutes of the activity. For example, a child can learn about the banking system by role-playing at IDFC First Bank as a Bank Teller, be a logistics expert at the DHL activity, create their own pizzas during the chef activity with Chicago Pizza, or make a donut at Mad Over Donuts’ factory. Children not only engage but also make lasting memories and connections with the involved brand.

How do you plan to measure the success of your marketing campaigns, and what metrics do you consider most important for KidZania's growth in India?

We believe that using a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics is essential to measure the success of our marketing campaigns at KidZania. We use website traffic, social media engagement, and ticket sales as quantitative measures to evaluate the effectiveness of our campaigns. Moreover, we also consider qualitative feedback from our customers to understand how our marketing efforts are perceived and make improvements accordingly.

For KidZania's growth in India, we focus on metrics such as visitor and revenue growth, customer satisfaction, and building strong partnerships with local businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations. Our comprehensive approach helps us make data-driven decisions to optimize our marketing efforts and drive KidZania's growth in India.

Finally, how do you plan to engage with KidZania's target audience - children - and their parents to ensure that they remain loyal to the brand and continue to visit the park repeatedly?

To achieve our goal, we have developed a multi-faceted approach that focuses on creating an immersive and educational experience for children, while also providing a comfortable and enjoyable experience for parents. Our team of trained "Zupervisors" guides children through the activities, incorporating the latest technologies and trends to create interactive experiences. KidZania offers comfortable seating, charging stations, and free Wi-Fi to parents to help them relax. Additionally, we leverage social media and other digital platforms to engage with customers and keep them informed about the latest activities, events, and offers. Our aim is to create lasting relationships with customers and encourage repeat visits by providing an engaging experience for children and a comfortable and enjoyable experience for parents.