Reaching kids with marketing is vital to ensuring a restaurant or chain’s success in the quick-serve industry. By reaching children, a brand can be known as fun, family-friendly place to go driving traffic and sales.
From innovative graphics and marketing campaigns to play centers and activities, generating excitement and keeping kids safe and engaged is the key to attracting and retaining this demographic.
But reaching children comes with challenges, such as how to design marketing materials that attract younger audiences and ensuring that all products and amenities are exciting and safe for children.
Here are a few resources that can help you make your brand a destination for kids and families:
1. GutCheck
Creating an effective messaging strategy that appeals to kids and young adults can be challenging, and going with your gut can be an expensive risk. Our research team has designed a suite of agile market research products to “provide you with quality consumer feedback that enables you to quickly address business questions and hard to reach audiences, including kids, at any stage along the creative development process.” Our downloadable report investigates how quick-serve restaurants can more effectively communicate to Millennials and Gen Z to see our work in action. gutcheckit.com
2. Elephant Armor
Playcenters can drive traffic from families with eager kids, but germs can hide in your playcenter. Elephant Armor kills 99.9 percent of the germs in your play center, including influenza, E. Coli, and Staph, in less than two minutes and is 100 percent safe and effective. “Elephant Armor helps us tell the story that your kids health matters to us,” says Matt Williams, operator at Chick-fil-A’s Gateway Park location in Aurora, Colorado. “We now have the cleanest and safest playscape and high chairs down to a bacterial and viral level.” Show your commitment to your customers’ happiness and safety with Elephant Armor. getelephantarmor.com
3. The Placemat Store
When a family decides to go out for dinner, kids have a big say on where to go. “Most parents are expecting something for the kids when they go to a restaurant,” says Jasmine Kafka, director of account services. The Placemat Store by Kidzsmart is an online one-stop-shop for operators looking to add value to their family dining experience at an affordable price. With a large variety of kids’ placemats, your youngest customers (and their parents) will surely be happy. “Investing in connections now is a great way to keep future generations coming back,” Kafka says. www.theplacematstore.com
4. Koala Kare Products
Based on two national market studies, caregivers have indicated they are more loyal, visit more often, and spend more money at establishments with child accommodation amenities. An essential element in restaurants that welcome families is the availability of safe, sanitary, well-designed high chairs and booster seats. Baby changing stations are also a must, and gender-specific restrooms should each have one and be stocked with liners. “We’re proud of our leadership position that recognizes Koala as the expert in commercial baby changing stations and the manufacturer of safe, durable, and décor complimenting high chairs,” says Bonnie Yatkeman, marketing category manager for Koala Kare Products. koalabear.com
