Canela Media Director, Kids Strategy on Expanding into the Children’s Media Market

Continuing their series on what it takes to create meaningful products and strategies for Latino audiences, Canela Media founder and CEO, Isabel Rafferty, sat down with Canela Media Director of Kids Strategy for Us Hispanic/LatAm, Maggie Salas-Amaro, to discuss building Canela Kids and how they will stand apart in the children’s media market thanks to their unique perspective. Maggie Salas-Amaro is a multi-platform strategist with expertise in the broadcast, cable, and streaming industries. She is an accomplished and versatile leader with vast knowledge and experience in the US general market/ US Hispanic/Latin America and Brazil markets. 

You can listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. The highlights of this episode are detailed below:

On the draw of building a product for kids

According to Maggie her passion for children’s programming is the dedicated, loyal, and curious audience. However, that also comes with high demand and expectations. What makes children’s programming great makes it all worth it, though.

“I like the storytelling within kids stories. It's all about dealing with friends, family, and their stories. There's always a lesson at the end of each episode. As humans living on planet Earth, we need more of that.”

On what to expect from Canela Kids

There is quite a bit that Maggie and the team are cooking up for Canela Kids. In fact, she sees what they’re building right now as an opportunity to gain an audience for life that can graduate from the Kids programming into the rest of Canela’s offerings.

“We are identifying those properties that stand out in the market in terms of quality. Animation, 2D, 3D, CGI, live action, etc. We’re focused on content from around the world. There will be brand new Canela Originals, and we are premiering things for the US Hispanic and LatAm markets. 

“There will be specific content that has unique storytelling and features diversity in the kids that it has with a family background. We're looking at a couple of shows that have the grandparents at the center, the father who's a super agent, and the kids who want to follow in his footsteps. It's all about engaging the audience, but it's also entertaining, having humor, and adventure. At the end of every story, I like to see that there's a lesson too.”

On understanding their audience

Canela Media exemplifies their mission in every product they build. They are Latino entrepreneurs building products for a Latin audience. This gives them a unique perspective into their audience. That said, they’re also listening to their customer base. 

“We have read so much and done research and attended focus groups throughout our careers. Latinos, even those that come from Latin America to come to the US, are in search of a better life to raise their kids. They care about health care access, education, and they like the content that is here. Sometimes, we don't see content specifically that has Latino kids in it. 

“I've never been prouder to work at a company that celebrates not only women, but so much diversity and inclusion. I feel that our content for kids is going to reflect that. We are going to be not just another streamer that has a kids offering, but the streaming service that offers both parents and kids this unique experience to sit down together and watch the show.”

On standing apart in the market

Maggie is one of Canela’s best cheerleaders and spends part of her job showcasing how Canela Kids is unlike anything else out there today. While there are other kids-focused offerings from streamers, there is nothing like Canela Kids in the market today. They will cater to every age group with top quality content from around the world.

“It's about caring about the curation of what we're bringing to our audience. That's what makes me excited to wake up every day. I ask myself how can I make this even better as we take it to market? I know there's nothing else like Canela Kids in the market right now.”