Increasing Viwership of episodes of Daniel Tiger on PBS kids: A digital Marketing strategy (Marvel Ibrahim)

Understanding the Audience and Platform

Daniel’s Tiger,” inspired by Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, is an educational show for preschoolers featuring Daniel Tiger—the 4-year-old son of the original Daniel Striped Tiger. Premiering in 2012, the series invites children into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe where Daniel and his friends—O the Owl, Katerina Kittycat, Prince Wednesday, and Miss Elaina—explore everyday social-emotional lessons through storytelling, catchy songs, and imaginative play. Created by Angela C. Santomero, the show has become a beloved staple on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Hulu live tv, YouTube TV, Apple TV, and others. However, for our campaign, we are focusing exclusively on non-app, non-TV options, particularly Hulu live TV and Amazon Prime, both of which require a premium subscription.

Right now, episodes are available on different platforms like Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu live Tv and more. But for our project, we’re focusing on everything except the PBS Kids app or mobile apps. Our goal is to get more people to watch the show on Hululive TV and Amazon Prime, both of which need a subscription. So we’re trying to find ways to promote the show and encourage more families to stream it on those platforms..

Content Focus:Quality Episodes That Justify the Price

One of the most important ways to get more people to actually pay to watch “Daniel’s Tiger” on platforms like Amazon Prime and Hulu live TV is by improving the content of the episodes themselves. Since both platforms require a subscription, people are usually more hesitant to spend money unless they feel like they’re getting real value.

Public Feedback Summary

Positive reviews of the show

Negative Reviews of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood show

Negative reviews of the show

Negative Feedback Summary (What to Improve):

From the negative reviews we looked at, it’s pretty clear that while a lot of people like Daniel’s Tiger, there are definitely things that could be improved. One big thing that stood out is how often Daniel throws tantrums or acts selfish, which some parents feel their kids might copy in real life. A few reviews even mentioned that the way he handles emotions, like stomping when frustrated, isn’t always helpful or realistic. Others felt like the show was trying too hard to push certain messages, especially when it came to gender roles, and they wanted that to be done in a more natural way. Some reviewers also thought the emotional themes were too intense or constant, which could be overwhelming for younger viewers. There were also a few comments about character backgrounds being confusing, like the racial makeup of some families not making sense or lacking context. So overall, while the show means well, there’s room to make the emotional lessons more balanced and the characters’ actions more thoughtful and relatable.

Positive Feedback Summary (What to Keep or Add):

On the flip side, the positive reviews were super encouraging and really showed why the show has such a strong fan base. Tons of parents said they love how Daniel’s Tiger helps their kids learn how to deal with emotions, like calming down when they’re angry or being kind to others. The songs, even if they’re a bit repetitive, actually help kids remember important life lessons and make them feel more connected to what’s going on in the episode. A lot of people also mentioned how nice it is that the show stays calm and doesn’t have loud, chaotic characters like some other shows that kids tend to copy. Some older viewers even said the show brings back good memories and made them feel like they had a “friend” in Daniel growing up. And it’s cool to see how diverse the cast is, which helps all kinds of kids feel seen. So basically, even with a few issues, people love the show for its emotional depth, friendly characters, and positive vibes—and that’s something we definitely want to keep building on.

In conclusion ,So to make the episodes better and worth paying for, we could keep the helpful emotional lessons and songs, but improve the storytelling by making Daniel a little less whiny, add more variety in the episodes, and make the songs feel less repetitive. These changes could help the show feel more balanced—and more worth the price for parents thinking about subscribing.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):Making Sure People Find the show

For parents searching phrases like “best shows for toddlers on Hulu” or “kids shows that teach emotions,” we need to make sure Daniel’s Tiger pops up. That means using SEO-friendly titles and descriptions when uploading episodes—like “Teaching Kids to Stay Calm | Daniel’s Tiger Episode on Hulu.” Adding keywords like “emotional development for kids,” “calm preschool shows,” and “screen time with life lessons” can help us show up in parent blogs, review sites, and platform searches. The more discoverable we are, the more likely people are to click and watch

Culture Connecting to Pennsylvania Roots

Since the show started in Pennsylvania and was inspired by Mister Rogers (who’s also from there), we can totally use that to build a deeper connection with the audience. A lot of families value shows that feel local or familiar, especially when they come from a place with a history of kindness, community, and simple values—basically everything Fred Rogers stood for. So, if we highlight that “Daniel’s Tiger” comes from those same roots, it makes it feel more real and trustworthy. We could even try promoting it through local Pennsylvania-based parenting groups or community pages to build that sense of hometown pride.



Influencer Collaboration: Bringing in Local Voices Parents Trust

To make Daniel’s Tiger feel even more connected to the families we’re trying to reach, especially in Pennsylvania where the show is rooted, we could work with a local parenting influencer or early childhood educator from the area. Someone like a Pittsburgh-based mom blogger or a family therapist who already shares helpful parenting tips on Facebook could create a post or short video talking about how Daniel’s Tiger has helped their own children. If that video plays right before an episode on Hulu or Amazon Prime, it’s not just advertising—it’s someone local, someone real, telling other parents why the show matters. That personal connection could make a big difference in whether someone clicks “play” or not.

Add Bonus Features on Hulu and Amazon Prime

To make people feel like the subscription is “worth it,” we’d offer small extras that are only available on those platforms—like behind-the-scenes animation clips.

Run a “First Month Free” Campaign

Offer new users a free month of Prime Video or Hulu specifically highlighting Daniel’s Tiger as part of the reason to sign up—this reduces the risk for parents trying it out.

Citation

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  4. Chen, Hao & Zhang, Minguang & Lim, Alvin. (2020). Hierarchical Marketing Mix Models with Sign Constraints. 10.48550/arXiv.2008.12802.

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Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Social Media Strategy