In traditional Quick Service (QSR) or fast-food restaurants, consumers expect a kids’ meal to come with a kids’ meal toy, a kids’ meal bag or meal box, and a kids’ drink like an apple juice box or smaller-sized fountain drink with kids’ cup and lid. These high expectations have been established after decades of kids’ meal offerings from brands like McDonald’s that introduced the Happy Meal in 1978. Almost all fast-food brands followed suit.
The best kids’ meal toys for each QSR or fast-food brand is one that is custom designed for the brand and supported by branded kids’ meal bags and kids’ cups. We at C3 are experts at designing and producing the following core components of custom QSR kids’ meal programs:
Kids’ Meal Bags: A designed meal bag or meal box sets the tone for the entire kids’ meal. We design and produce kid-friendly meal packaging that makes kids feel special because they know it is a meal just for them, and it makes it easier for Mom or Dad to know whose meal is whose when the food is served – often through a drive-thru window.
Kids’ Meal Toys: The inclusion of a kids’ meal toy or other kids’ meal entertainment varies greatly between brands based on the strategic positioning of the kids’ meal program, the product design, format, production location and budgets. At C3, we create custom brand programs for the national brands we work with to achieve brand-specific goals, so no two kids’ meal programs are alike. Licensing can be an important component of a kids’ meal toy, although it’s certainly not a requirement. Many brands utilize brand treasures and icons as a way to promote their own brand identity to the family customer.
Kids’ Meal Cup: The final core component of a kids’ meal program is a kids’ cup. Kids’ cups need a tight-fitting lid that prevents spills and are most often made of recyclable plastic which is both durable and flexible for the small hands of a child to grasp and use. A unique, creative design adds value to the kids’ cup and makes the child feel welcome and that there is something just for them.
For more on the benefits of kids’ meal bags and kids’ meal toys for fast-food restaurants, check out our insights-rich infographic that outlines some of the ways a fast-food restaurant can be more kid and family friendly.
Interested in learning more about how to meet (and even exceed!) families’ expectations when they visit your brand? Contact us!