Loving Interaction Quotient

And why it may be the most important metric

I recently wrote an article for Kidscreen on measuring content performance. I argued for a move from CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) to CPF (Cost Per Fan), as we moved into a fragmented space, a way to optimise the value of each individual consumer or audience.

I posted on LinkedIn a few things that I thought were key in driving CPF. One of those was ‘love’. Creating content for your audience, because you, the creator, are passionate.

Frank Falcone, Founder of Guru Animation Studio, one of the most prolific content makers in the kid space, asked how to measure LIQ (Loving Interaction Quotient).

I love a challenge, and this is a complex and important question. One that is hard to answer alone, so for the first time ever I’m partnering with a brain I enjoy bouncing ideas off.

Step forward David Kleeman to help me get to the point (of the Space Needle). Sorry.

How Much is Love Worth?

When audiences love a brand, the financial returns go far beyond content consumption. Loved shows don’t just get watched—they get re-watched, talked about, merchandised, and turned into cultural phenomena. Look at Harry Potter: the franchise’s estimated $30 billion value comes not just from books and movies but from a deeply invested fan base that buys wands, visits theme parks, and debates house alignments online.

Research from Havas Media found that loved brands consistently outperform stock markets by 120%, proving that emotional attachment drives tangible results.

Measuring LIQ (Loving Interaction Quotient)

Here’s a framework to start quantifying love:

LIQ = (E + R + F) x C

• E (Emotional Resonance): How deeply does your audience feel? This can be measured through sentiment analysis in reviews or comments. Friends nailed this by delivering moments that felt universally relatable—like Ross’s "We were on a break!"

• R (Retention): Do fans return for more? High retention rates reflect lasting appeal. For example, Stranger Things viewers binge entire seasons and then eagerly rewatch older ones before new releases.

• F (Fan Actions): Are fans actively engaging? Think fan fiction for Harry Potter, memes for The Office, or TikTok dances inspired by Wednesday. These actions reflect the degree of audience involvement.

• C (Consistency): Does the brand stay true to itself across formats and platforms? Marvel’s ability to maintain tone and quality across movies, TV shows, and comics amplifies love exponentially.

Why This Matters…. to the creator

Let’s break this down with examples.

Peppa Pig excels in retention (R)—kids re-watch episodes endlessly—and emotional resonance (E) through simple, universal storytelling. Add its consistency (C) across toys, books, and theme parks, and you’ve got a global preschool powerhouse.

Friends created deep emotional resonance (E) by turning small, shared life moments into jokes. Its callbacks (like "Smelly Cat") amplified retention (R) because they rewarded dedicated fans. Today, Friends merchandise continues to sell, decades after the show ended.

When you optimise for LIQ, your content doesn’t just entertain; it becomes part of your audience’s identity. Love turns casual viewers into superfans, driving emotional loyalty that creates incredible lifetime value. Love truly is the ultimate ROI.

And now why This Matters…. to the industry

and for that over to my first ever guest writer David Kleeman

LOVE IN A TIME OF NICHE

Years ago, I discovered a Broadway song that has become a touchstone of my philosophy of children’s media. The title is “I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing, than 100 people’s ninth favorite thing.” It crystallizes a moment in the show where the creators of a new musical (very meta…) need to decide whether to stick to their vision or sell out to commercial pressures.

Photo by Eddie Blair on Unsplash

With today’s young people marinated in multiple forms of media, a lot of time is understandably spent with highly-popular “ninth favorite things.”

But, between viewer-chooses streaming platforms and user-generated content game and video platforms, niche is the word. Everyone can not only find their favorite thing, but also create community with the eight others who share it. Moreover, as the song lyrics continue, “those nine people will tell nine people,” and that’s how the flywheel of fandom grows.

SKAM GETS ITS “LIQs” IN

Remember SKAM, the Norwegian teen drama that went viral a few years ago, breaking NRKs viewership records.. The public broadcaster did several things right with the series to build love:

• Their target audience was 16-year-old girls - very specific, enabling a super-sharp focus and Consistency (C);

• They didn’t do traditional marketing for the series, knowing that the less they hyped it, the more Emotionally (E) authentic teen girls’ discovery and adoption would feel;

• SKAM was distributed across multiple platforms, with elements playing out in organic spaces (e.g., texts, Insta and Facebook posts, as well as on video), giving the stories an immersive feel and encouraging Fan Actions (F).

SKAM spread globally, as fans shared bootleg, subtitled videos. Ultimately, the format was sold internationally, which is where Consistency (C) took its toll, with some versions continuing for multiple seasons while others folded quickly (SKAM Austin in the US was made for Facebook, and lasted only two seasons).

FIGHTING CHURN WITH LOVE

I’ve long thought that, given their essentially unlimited “shelf space,” streaming services should reserve a “high LIQ” section. Titles in this space would have an identifiable affinity group - by theme, genre, style, place of origin, subculture and such - and elements that support Emotional Resonance (E).

Think of the book you re-read over and over, the one you kept and dusted off, that has personal meaning to you. That’s these shows. With a little help, the intended audiences would discover the shows, watch on repeat, seek out more information, and share the content via social media - Fan Actions (FA).

The platform would get churn protection - Retention (R) from the loyalty of the individual shows’ “nine favorite things” fandom.

LOVE AND CREATION

Love is a massive part of the creator economy, as well. From DUPLO and LEGO to Minecraft to Roblox and Fortnite to YouTube and TikTok, children and young people build what they imagine. The motivation to do so ranges widely, from the intrinsic pleasure of creating, to the pride of showing to family or friends, to the relatively recent potential to share with the world and gain one’s own fandom.

For these few, creation becomes a passion. One favorite example is an 11-year-old (the son of a friend) who built the entire town from the movie “Encanto” in Minecraft. When he’d finished, he used his iPad and editing software to recreate a music video from the film shot–for-shot. That kind of dedication - love - knows no attention span.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Preston Mutanga was hired by Hollywood producer Chris Lord to create a LEGO scene for “Across the Spiderverse.” Lord discovered the 14-year-old from his LEGO videos on YouTube.

A little while ago, I surveyed a small group of young, professional game builders, mostly working on Roblox experiences. Most had started playing quite young, became casual builders around age 12, then developed their skills alone and in communities, becoming professional-level by their late teens. They were driven to create the games they and their friends wanted to play, and fully ⅔ of those asked said they’d continue making games even if they weren’t being paid.

Thank you David!

In Summary: It’s me again…

In a fragmented media landscape, love—measured through the Loving Interaction Quotient (LIQ)—may be the most important metric for content creators and platforms alike. Love is what transforms content from a fleeting distraction to a cultural touchstone, creating superfans who re-watch, share, and invest deeply.

By optimizing for LIQ—through emotional resonance, retention, fan actions, and consistency—content not only entertains but becomes part of the audience’s identity. Whether it’s SKAM’s authentic storytelling, Friends’ enduring emotional connections, or the creator economy fueled by young builders on platforms like Roblox and Minecraft, love is the common thread driving engagement, loyalty, and lifetime value.

In an era of niches, creators must aim to be “nine people’s favorite thing” rather than the ninth favorite for 100. Love doesn’t just reduce churn or sell merchandise—it creates moments, movements, and meaning. And that, as Preston Mutanga and SKAM have shown, is the ultimate ROI.

A quick note: It doesn’t always need to be measured, in fact it often can’t. But you can build content and products for moments of individual and community joy. A future post.

This week, my music choice is inspired by one of the most amazing live performances I’ve ever attended. And who took me… Mr Kleeman of course. I’ve been a fan ever since.