• by Larry Dobrow , April 6, 2004

So-called "tween" boys spend $18 billion annually and influence an additional $145 billion in bigger-ticket purchases. But perhaps because of an outdated perception--that they're a considerably harder sell than their female counterparts--fewer marketers than one might expect have made communicating with them a primary goal.

Enter RIOT Media, a new company with the ambitious goal of creating an integrated brand--spearheaded by plucky hero Riot the Chimp--that delivers content across a range of media platforms to boys ages 8 to 13. At the same time, the company will offer marketers a range of research and strategic advice on this market through its RIOT Consultancy arm.

"Not to get too think-piece-y about it, but it's an amazing moment for tweens, both economically and sociologically," says RIOT president and Chief Executive Officer Jay Gissen. "But they've yet to be given a product or a brand that speaks directly to them. The biggest hits for tween boys have been accidents, like Pokemon. Even Harry Potter was turned down by major publishers."

RIOT's genesis can be traced to Gissen's belief that only a limited number of multimedia properties appeal to tween boys. "There really isn't anything like Mad magazine, which was so dominant when we were children," he says. While a handful of general interest and non-gender-specific titles exist for this audience (Sports Illustrated For Kids, Nickelodeon magazine, Disney Adventures), none have zeroed in on 8-to-13 boys.

"I'm not saying that there aren't any good properties out there," Gissen continues. "You still have your gaming magazines, and even though comic books may reach a fraction of the audience they once did, they're still doing well. A huge opportunity is being missed, though."

The company plans to roll out a range of print (books, comic books, a monthly magazine), video (live-action and animated TV programs), and online (an interactive Web site) content. All of it will revolve around a central story in which a small U.S. town is threatened by the arrival of an evil circus. The tone will alternate between the irreverent and the grotesque, but RIOT promises that it will remain age-appropriate.

While these licensed products won't hit the market until 2005, RIOT Consulting has already claimed TV Guide as its first client. The company's mission: to address the perception that the venerable mag appeals mostly to older readers as well as to extend the brand to a new generation of viewers.

"People want more guidance than ever about home entertainment, and TV Guide wants to be the company that provides that guidance," Gissen says. "They want to understand tweens better than they do. They realize that it could be the tween who convinces mom and dad to hold onto HBO for another month, or order a movie or event on pay-per-view." Gissen was previously director of editorial operations and director of editorial development for the mag.

Although he declines to identify other potential clients, Gissen hints that the size and the influence of the tween audience have left him with more suitors than expected. His pitch is that tween males have a huge say in their parents' vacation, car, and product purchases ("which brand of toilet paper they buy, let alone cereal or cookies or beverages"), and thus that marketers must plant the seeds of brand loyalty sooner rather than later.

"The ad community knows that in ten years, these kids will be adults with money to spend," he explains. "They hit 18--are they going to buy Schick or Gillette? [Companies] can't start speaking to them at 16 and think they'll come right around."

Members of the RIOT team boast a wealth of experience across several media. Advisor Mike Hammer was a founding editor of Stuff and Maxim, while creative director Chad Tomlinson previously served as Roger Black Consulting's art director. RIOT Media is bankrolled by AdMedia Partners, among others.