Tyson completed a six-week pilot test in March of its branded concepts and discovered that 75 percent of student response in favor of food had to do with the branding and packaging. “It’s amazing that price was not a barrier. It shows operators that you can build in the price of packaging with the food product and kids will buy it,” says Tyson marketing manager Barbara Jirka.
Kids are visual eaters, so clear packaging for wraps works best because kids can see what’s inside, Jirka says. Pictures on the menu, menuboard, or on posters also attract purchases among kids.
The plates used at Disney World playfully scream the Disney brand. The divided Mickey Plate is shaped like Mickey’s head—ears and all. “Kids like things on a plate, but separated. They don’t like everything together,” Wronski says.
Interactive Food
Clever packaging, shapes, colors, flavors, and presentations all add to the likelihood that kids will purchase an item.
Children ages 5 to 8 still pretend and play with their food. They like dipping and appreciate shapes and colors, Tyson’s Jirka says.
Mixology is a kid favorite, says Tylor Garland, founder and CEO of Boombang Inc., a Los Angeles-based creative services think tank that has worked with several foodservice accounts. He suggests bundling various condiments to encourage the flavor-factory idea. With green ketchup and other sauces, fries could come in a cool holster and kids could create a palate of sauces swirled together.
He also notes that boys like to build things while girls favor the make-believe. He suggests developing packaging that could be used later for building for boys and role-playing for girls.
“McDonald’s saw their sales of milk in their Happy Meals skyrocket when they just changed their packaging from the standard milk cartons to the plastic jug with an illustrated picture of Ronald McDonald,” says Laurie Klein, vice president of business development for Just Kid Inc., a Stamford, Connecticut-based research and innovation company.
“Burger King has recently dialed up the fun of their food by offering Apple Fries shaped like french fries and served in a cardboard container like french fries,” she says.
In fact, within the first five weeks of adding the Fresh Apple Fries to the menu, Burger King sold more than 3 million servings, 85 percent more than the company originally projected.
The Apple Dippers available at McDonald’s have also done extremely well. Apple Dipper sales in the region served by apple supplier Tree Top Inc., Selah, Washington, are up 25 to 30 percent over a year ago, says Lisa Baldoz, marketing manager for Tree Top’s foodservice division.
And there’s still intrigue to be realized with apples in foodservice. Two years ago, Stemilt Growers Inc. began selling AppleSweets—packaged apple slices flavored with such dessert-like flavors as County Fair Caramel, Mom’s Apple Pie, and Wild Berry. The product became available to foodservice in the past year, says Tate Mathison, foodservice team leader. “Everyone would argue that apples are healthy, but not covered in caramel,” he says. The company sought to develop a product that would add exciting flavors, but keep it healthy and nutritious.
The proprietary, natural patent-pending flavoring process uses flavor tunnels just before the slices go into the bags.
As for future flavors, Mathison says the company is always looking and would be willing to talk with an operator’s research and development team to create a customized coated-apple flavor.
With tweens—kids ages 9 to 12—colors and shapes are not as important. This is when they move beyond the kids’ menu, wanting to identify more with high schoolers. “They are growing up in their eating habits. This is when they start experimenting with bolder and ethnic flavors,” says Jirka with Tyson Foods. “The appetizer or snack menu concept works for them.”
In July, Jack in the Box added to its snack menu Cheesy Macaroni Bites, which feature three or six wedges of macaroni noodles and Kraft cheese covered with a crunchy tempura-style coating.
It’s the smaller portion, hand-held, low-price-point item that kids would find appealing, says Olson with Y-Pulse. The tween age group also can appreciate that the Macaroni Bites aren’t on the children’s menu. “Kids can sniff out promotions that look like they are trying too hard and are directed to kids,” she says.