The YouTube children who are the power brokers of toy sales
Child critics who review products on video sharing service courted by manufacturers seeking bigger slice of a US$22 billion industry
An eight-year-old with crooked teeth. A middle schooler with a punk rocker bob cut and big earrings. "Tweenage" siblings.
These are among the young power brokers who will determine the toys that will be under Christmas trees this year.
At a time when toy sales have stagnated for years at US$22 billion, children who review toys on YouTube are wielding increasing influence.
Toy makers are courting them for their ability to connect with a generation that views the online video sharing service like baby boomers do HBO.
"Kids trust other kids more so than they would an adult," says Marc Rosenberg, a Chicago-based toy consultant.
Leading the pack is Evan, eight. With over one billion views between his three channels, he's YouTube's most popular child. He gets more than 800 million views from EvanTubeHD, where he reviews the toys. Evan speaks directly to his viewers, with occasional cameos from his little sister and mother.
Behind Evan are a few other young YouTube prodigies.
Siblings Noah, 14, Jonah, 12, and Emma, 11, star in KittiesMama, which has nearly 400 million views. KittiesMama is a reality show that chronicles the siblings' daily lives, including birthday parties. They also review toys and Emma shows children how to look like characters from toy lines like My Little Pony.
Gracie Hunter, 11, pairs up with her mother, Melissa, in Mommy and Gracie, which has close to 90 million views. Gracie searches for hard-to-find dolls with her mother. They've even travelled to Canada from their New Jersey home to find a Monster High doll.
RadioJH Audrey has more than 60 million views. Audrey, 11, speaks to fellow tweenagers - children aged between 10 and 14 - and frequently says "cool" and "awesome". Her trademark: reviewing mystery toy bags that are sold at places like Toys 'R' Us.
Julie Krueger, industry director of retail at Google, which owns YouTube, says the channels have "huge followings".
Toy makers have noticed. In fact, Spin Master says Evan's reviews helped boost sales of its Spy Gear toys 65 per cent this year.
Toy makers regularly send the young reviewers products. And some ink paid marketing deals.
Spin Master hired Evan to appear in a television advertisement for its Spy Gear toys. Anki, which makes robotic toy cars, teamed up with Evan and KittiesMama for reviews of a racing car. WowWee is working with Mommy and Gracie on promotional videos for Elektrokidz dolls.
The parents and companies declined to disclose financial terms. But most of the parents have quit their jobs to focus on the businesses.
Critics argue that the deals risk crossing the line of trust with audiences.
For their part, toy makers say they're careful to preserve the voices of the children.
Parents also say they try to maintain authenticity. Jason, the father behind RadioJH, says the channel is doing so well with ad revenue that he doesn't focus on partnerships. Jennifer, the mother behind KittiesMama, says she would partner only with brands that her kids enjoy. And Melissa Hunter of Mommy and Gracie says she only accepts deals to benefit charities.
