Blue Plate Media Services and FUNdamentally Children form transatlantic partnership for children’s brands

Partnership combines media strategy, retail & marketplace growth with independent child-development research and accreditation for toy, kids & family brands.

SUMMIT, NJ, UNITED STATES, September 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — NEW JERSEY / HERTFORDSHIRE, [September 22, 2026] — Blue Plate Media Services (BPMS) and FUNdamentally Children, home of the Good Play Guide, today announced a partnership bringing together media strategy services and independent child development expertise for brands in the toy, game, infant, toddler, consumer technology and family categories. The two organizations will collaborate on new business across agreed sectors, giving brands seamless access to media planning, buying and marketplace growth alongside evidence-based research, product accreditation and expert endorsement.

The partnership responds to a market under real pressure. Media budgets are tightening and clients are being asked to demonstrate return on ad spend above everything else, pushing spend closer and closer to the point of sale. Both organizations argue that this narrows a brand’s reach rather than growing it, and that independent credibility is one of the few assets that works at the top and the bottom of the funnel at the same time.

BPMS brings 26 years of experience in children’s, family and consumer- product media, combining brand-building media with retail and commerce activation. The agency operates its own seat on The Trade Desk and leverages first-party retailer shopper data across major retailers including Walmart, Best Buy, Kroger, Dollar General, Albertsons, Walgreens and Sam’s Club. BPMS also recently launched BLOOM, its marketplace growth accelerator supporting brands across Walmart Marketplace, Target Plus, Amazon and TikTok Shop.

FUNdamentally Children brings 25 years of child development research, the Good Play Guide accreditation platform, a 20,000-strong family research panel and an international associate network. Its research is qualitative and ecologically valid: real children, observed with products in familiar settings, rather than lab conditions.

Independent evaluation data from Good Play Guide accredited products shows a 20% lift in intention to purchase, and a paid social campaign for one accredited brand delivered 40% more landing page views than a standard lifestyle image at 29% lower cost per view.

“The industry has become increasingly focused on the bottom of the funnel, as brands are being tasked to do more with less — but you can’t capture demand that hasn’t first been created,” said David Becker, President of BPMS. “Independent credibility gives brands another powerful reason for parents to notice, trust, and ultimately choose a product. Amanda and her team bring an extraordinary level of authority with parents, with retailers, and with the media. Combining that credibility with BPMS’ ability to build demand and convert it into measurable retail sales creates a very compelling proposition for brands. Amanda’s expertise carries weight, adding accreditation to the purchasing process.”

“Brands that build trust early convert better later – the campaign data shows this unequivocally” said Dr Amanda Gummer, Founder and CEO of FUNdamentally Children. “David’s team knows how to reach the right families. We know what makes a product worth those families’ attention, and we can prove it. Putting those two capabilities in the same room is a win-win for children’s brands.”

Through the partnership, brands will be able to engage BPMS and FUNdamentally Children independently or collaboratively, depending on their needs — from product research and accreditation through launch strategy, consumer media, retail activation and marketplace growth.

About Blue Plate Media Services
Blue Plate Media Services (BPMS) is a New Jersey-based, independent media agency specializing in the children’s, family and consumer products markets. With 26 years of experience driving emerging and leading consumer facing brands, BPMS provides full-funnel media strategy, planning and buying across platforms, including digital, social, agentic commerce, creator, programmatic, retail and commerce media.
BPMS operates its own seat on The Trade Desk and provides access to first-party retailer shopper data to help brands connect consumer demand directly to retail outcomes. Its capabilities also include BLOOM, a marketplace growth accelerator supporting brands across Walmart Marketplace, Target Plus, Amazon and TikTok Shop.

About FUNdamentally Children and the Good Play Guide
FUNdamentally Children (trading name of The Good Toy Guide Ltd.) is a research, accreditation and consultancy organization working at the intersection of child development science, the children’s industries and public policy. Founded by Dr Amanda Gummer, it works with global brands, policymakers, charities and public bodies to ensure the products, services and environments children encounter are grounded in robust developmental evidence. Clients and partners have included McDonald’s, the BBC, PepsiCo, Danone, ASDA, the V&A Museum and the US Toy Association.
The Good Play Guide is its independent toy, app and play product review and accreditation platform, used by parents, retailers and brands internationally since 2012. Accreditation programmes include the MESH standard (Mental, Emotional and Social Health) and STEAM Toy Accreditation.
Dr Amanda Gummer holds a PhD in neuropsychology and has 25 years of experience in child development research, policy and media. She is a Commissioner on the Raising the Nation Play Commission, Independent Chair of the Association of Play Industries, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and author of Play: Fun Ways to Help Your Children Develop in the First Five Years (Vermilion, 2015). She is a regular contributor to the BBC, Sky News, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and US outlets including TODAY and the Wall Street Journal.

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