Code Ninjas has delivered more than one million coding sessions to children in the US, Canada and the UK since launching in 2016. Recent months have seen more parents than ever turning to the familiarity and convenience of technology to keep their children occupied during lockdown and many are beginning to see the value in coding education. Marty Flanagan, VP of Franchising, knows all too well how much of a lifeline brands like Code Ninjas are for busy, working parents.
It hardly needs pointing out that 2020 has come with a whole host of logistical challenges that have caused brands to shift and adapt their operational processes. For many, Code Ninjas included, business growth plans that have often been years in the making have had to be revised. In 2019, we brought our fun and interactive kids coding curriculum to UK shores, with plans to launch the first centre in the early spring of 2020.
That plan changed when the government-enforced lockdown came into effect on March 23rd. Essentially, this put a proverbial spanner in the works. Three of our UK franchisees had already secured suitable premises for their dojos and were a significant way through the fit-out process – as we had initially projected, two were planning on launching in the late spring. But, on that fateful day in March, all of this activity was put on hold indefinitely, until our franchisees could follow agreed guidelines to offer a safe environment for their ninjas. At first, we were concerned about the long-term implications of the unavoidable delay. As a brand that had grown from one franchisee to over 300 in just three years, we feared this ‘spanner’ could detrimentally impact the standing of our brand in a year that was supposed to be another milestone for our expansion.
But sometimes, in life or in business, the world throws you a curve ball. The postponement of our UK franchisee launches resulted in an increased interest in our programme, as parents began to take a different view of digital technology for their own children. Lockdown actually widened our demographic.
Pre-lockdown, our target customer was a parent that shows a real interest in technology or at least has a background in the field, with a child that regularly explored their own passions for technology. But with four-plus months stuck at home and parents having to home-school their children, many relied on phones, tablets and computers to appease and educate their offspring. More families than ever were relying on virtual video conferencing software to keep in touch with loved ones. In essence, technology became a lifeline and a crucial component of life in lockdown – a must-have, not just a nice-to-have.
What’s more, a large proportion of more sceptical parents became wise to the benefits of exposing their children to digital technology in a positive and controlled way. So, whilst they may have previously disregarded their child’s love of coding and gaming as a frivolous hobby, now they were seeing for themselves just how relevant and beneficial digital literacy is. Code Ninjas appealed to a whole new demographic, just in time for the UK centre launches.
So much so that our UK franchisees’ sign-up numbers have consistently increased since registration opened at the Watford centre on the 10th August. Parents are revelling in the opportunity to equip their children with a lifelong skill, some of whom only became aware of the benefits during lockdown. And with our seamless drop-off and pick-up service, parents are making the most of the newly acquired downtime as families slowly transition back into life post-lockdown. It’s a win-win.
As September kicks off, four of our UK locations are up and running, with many more launches planned for the coming weeks. As 15 franchisees search for Studio locations, they join the rest of the 335-strong network welcoming both new and returning ninjas!
