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Kiwa Digital Ltd (KIWA), a world leading production house for experiential digital books based in New Zealand, is to deliver interactive cartoon stories to mobile devices in China.
In a breakthrough international publishing and licensing agreement with leading Chinese television company, Beijing Kaku Media, KIWA will bring popular children’s characters to life digitally in the Chinese language.
The agreement was signed today in Shanghai in the presence of Steven Joyce, New Zealand’s Minister for Economic Development and Science and Innovation, who is visiting Shanghai this week to promote New Zealand business interests.
It is the first contract to be signed on digital content development between a New Zealand company and a Chinese media company, and supports the diversification of New Zealand’s export portfolio to China.
Bejing Kaku Media Co is considered in the Chinese industry as the top cartoon programmer in the country, with the widest coverage area, most audiences and greatest influence. Established in 2004, it now covers a population base of 600 million, has the highest children’s audience rating in Beijing,and is in the top 16 sattelite TV stations in China. This move into digital media is part of a diversification strategy that includes merchandise, retail stores, and theme parks.
The first digital books to launch, the ErTuZi series, will be available on the App Store, Google Play and local e-taliers. The books will include KIWA’s patented synchronisation of text and audio narration so that children can follow along, and numerous interactive features that are proven to improve engagement and learning.
Chi Haoyang, Deputy General Manager of Bejing Kaku Media, says “We are pleased to extend some of our most popular characters to be accessible to children on mobile devices. KIWA’s interactive formats will enable our young audience to enjoy these stories in new ways, while increasing the utilisation of Kaku’s valuable content.”
The partnership has been achieved as a result of the expertise of KIWA Director Dr Xiaoying Fu in the China market. Fu, who was present for the ceremony along with Global Business Development Director Steven Renata, said “We are delighted to work with Bejing Kaku Media in China and other international markets. With these new local language digital books we will increase the reach of these popular characters and give teachers and parents a wider range of language resources to aid literacy development.”
KIWA has also negotiated a partnership with Shanghai Xiwai International School as its education partner, to help develop related learning resources and penetrate new ways of learning into the wider China education market.
Beijing KAKU TV began to broadcast in 2004 and now covers more than 70 large and mid-sized cities in China including Beijing and Shanghai, four major SCG municipalities, four provinces of Hebei, Guizhou, Shanxi and Inner Mongolia as well as Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Bohai Rim area and the comprehensive rural reform regions in central China, with nearly 600 million population coverage. By broadcasting 24 hours, KAKU TV has won the highest children’s audience rating in Beijing and is ranked in the top 16 satellite TV stations in China. Beijing Kaku Media Co Ltd is also the largest sales platform for children’s cartoon derived products in China, diversifying into toy sales, children’s training, retail stores and theme parks.
KIWA partners with publishers and other content owners to bring content to new life in compelling digital formats. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the company has a growing international reputation in the education sector, particularly for its work across languages and cultures. See more at www.kiwadigital.com