KidzSmart Blog

Kidzsmart Counts down to Vancouver 2010

2010-02-09T12:27:00.000-08:00

Things are really HOPPING around here, as we're preparing to host the 2010 Olympic Games right here in Vancouver (Not kidzsmart......all of Vancouver)! Our normally mundane winter (blah) has blossomed into an exciting time - we at kidzsmart actually closed shop for a couple of hours the other day to witness "The Olympic Flame" as it passed through our neighborhood. Several buildings were burned....just kidding, someone was carrying it - safely.

We're all preparing to play host/hostesses with the mostesses to people from all around the world. Our only fear is that they will all want to move here when they see how gorgeous it is! Well, our other fear is that there won't be enough snow, but Olympic organizers claim that it won't be a problem....yikes!

Either way, it certainly is fun and quite an honor to have the world gather at our doorstep..........Happy Games!

California Tortilla Gets Kidzsmart!

2009-09-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

Kidzsmart wants to congratulate California Tortilla on their launch of their new kids' program featuring a custom Crayonfree Activity Book with their mascot Chippy and the Burrito Elitos!

Chippy and the gang star in California Tortilla's brand new kids comic and activity book, specially designed for California Tortilla customers under 12!

Celebrating their new kids' program and Crayonfree Activity book launch:

Here's Chippy working the room:

We hope the kids have as much fun using it as we did making it. Issue #2 is also in stores now!

Captain WOW Wins Again!

2009-09-10T10:04:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to WOW Cafe and Wingery -- their chicken wings and sauces really do make a difference!

At the 2009 National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York, where the first Buffalo Wings were created in 1964, WOW Cafe and Wingery came away with two more awards. This year, they were singled out for their Kansas City Honey BBQ Sauce and their spicey Buffalo XIII sauce.

These new awards go nicely with previous wins for Rookie of the Year and Best Creative Spicy Wing Sauce, just like their sauces go nicely with their wings.

Kidzsmart is always proud to work with successful, creative businesses like WOW Cafe & Wingery, and we'll be sure to eat our fill next time we're there!

Cool Crayonfree Fun for Hot Summer Times!

2009-07-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

Wow, busy days are here again at Kidzsmart!

Aah, the relaxing sounds of summer, and... drilling and hammering? Yikes!

Kidzsmart is expanding again, renovating our offices to make room for new staff hirings, and expanding to meet demand. It seems that during an economic downturn, more and more businesses are paying attention to cost-effective kids and family marketing.

And that's what we're all about! Custom kids activity and coloring books, branded kids menus and placemats, punch-out cardboard games and toys... and all of it priced to make your purchasing officers smile.

We've been even busier in the creative department, where we just released our first Crayonfree activity book to wild applause. And our second! We'll get some pics of the big California Tortilla opening and launch as soon as Bonnie, our effervescent sales rep gets the pictures off her camera.

Meanwhile, here's our new Crayonfree activity book, ready to be customized with your name, logo, and kids menu -- or whatever you want!

Hope you're having a great summer, and keep it up!

Budget-consicious Marketing to Kids and Families

2009-05-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

In a recent online article called "Marketing Value in Kids Meal Toys" the author makes the excellent points that we at Kidzsmart love to show clients: that by marketing intelligently to kids, you reach the entire families. And that paying attention to your youngest visitors pays off in the long run.

His article concerns a discussion he had with a mid-sized restaurant chain and the reasons why it's crucial to make family marketing part of your overall plan.

A kids' meal program is about empowering the young consumer to make their own decision and providing them with menu options that satisfy their selective appetite.

So, what did this particular chain of restaurants decide to do? They realized there was a need for a program - but they left the plastic, high-end pull-backs for the McDonalds and the Burger Kings of the world. They will concentrate on making their brand stronger while incorporating a kids meal program - the addition of a different menu that targets specifically two different age groups. They have taken this concept a step further and to offer a kids menu and a teens menu as they realize that they have enough of an audience that could further benefit from this new addition.

Will it work? I believe it will. I truly think that unless they want to stop doing business 10 years down the road they need not to forget the young clients. They are the future of their business. They are the ones that will come back to the stores by themselves and eventually with their families. They will remember who served them well and who didn't. I know this stands true at a personal level. I clearly recall who treated me like an important client in my younger years and who simply brushed me off because I could not reach the counter.

Good advice. Now just be sure to point out how much MORE traffic they can generate once the parents know that there's a fun, educational activity book to help entertain the kids while they're eating!

How some businesses cut marketing costs... and increased business!

2009-02-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

At times like this, businesses tend to choose one of two paths: slash their entire marketing budget and hope things get better by themselves, or find some way to reduce marketing expenses without sacrificing business. If you choose the second option, Kidzsmart can save you money AND help your business.

According to the Nation's Restaurant News (Sept. 22, pp.32), quick-serve chains like T.G.I. Friday's and BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse saw increased business (the biggest gain since Summer 2007) last quarter as a direct result of increased marketing, specifically on promotions centered around deals. And they did it all while still keeping -- and increasing -- their kids and family marketing programs with Kidzsmart.

What this shows us is that people are still going to restaurants, but they're doing so with an eye on value. Families, in particular, still want to eat out, but they're looking for a bit more bang for their buck.

Restaurants that have a value meal plan, a weekday special, or a kids eat free day are using this perception of increased value to increase their attractiveness to parents. And if parents can bring their kids somewhere they're entertained and still saving money, then it makes the decision easy.

Both BJ's and T.G.I. Friday's save more money -- and provide value to families while differentiating themselves from the competition -- by using Kidzsmart childrens activity books and placemats. Kidzsmart's end-to-end service (concept to distribution) eliminates middlemen and saves time... and unit costs.

As the end-to-end provider of over 60 million paper-based pieces every year, Kidzsmart has established itself as experts in communicating brand messages to your entire child and family demographic.

Updating your kids menu? Find out what kids want...

2009-02-03T12:56:00.001-08:00

The latest QSR Magazine has a forward-thinking article on what kids want out of fast food restaurants... and it's not what you'd expect.

"Independent restaurant operators are leading an emerging "kid-adult" fusion trend by promoting adult-style offerings to kids in greater numbers. Their menus target kids with smaller portions of premium steaks, fresh fish, locally-sourced healthy foods, and bolder ethnic flavors that are usually the domain of adult palates."

Click here to read "What Kids Want out of Fast Food."

Of course, this is not really a feasible option for most fast food chains... and something makes me suspect that it's the parents who are answering these questions.

Still, if you're looking at redesigning your kids menu, it might be worth looking at alternatives to chicken fingers and mac & cheese. Filet of sole for little Aidan? Better make sure you have something to entertain the kids while the chef is working on their meal!

NRA MEG Conference in New Orleans

2008-10-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone at the National Restaurant Association, and everyone in New Orleans for making last week's NRA's Marketing Executive Group Fall Conference a wonderful time!

Our woman-on-the-street and Kidzsmart's face-of-the-company (and resident fashionista) Bonnie reports that's she was thrilled to finally put faces with names, and check in with dozens of old friends.

The 4:30 a.m. fire alarm in her hotel and the drunken door rattler guy who couldn't read the room number didn't even slow her down.

If we didn't get a chance to chat this time, hopefully we'll see you in Chicago in May!

Kids Marketing Programs Need To Appeal To Moms Too

2008-07-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

According to a recent article in the New York times, the F.T.C. estimated that food companies spent $1.6 billion to market their products to children in 2006.

Most of this was on TV advertising, which provides little or no real value to kids... and has consumer watchdog groups on the attack.

In order to market effectively to children, and avoid a consumer backlash, the industry is moving toward kids programs that offer something that parents approve of and kids enjoy.

Even the big guys, McDonalds, Burger King, and Coca-Cola, are changing their strategies, according to a report in Brand Republic.

Burger King has launched its first campaign to explicitly target mothers, while McDonald's is overhauling its Happy Meal toys to push an educational message among parents.

Coca-Cola, too, has recognized the need to develop a relationship with mothers and has shifted its focus to promote healthy, active lifestyles, as its products have been removed from schools and TV ads aimed at children curtailed.

That's why Kidzsmart has developed kids programs that kids enjoy, moms approve, and that can be fun for the whole family.

Based on sound educational principles that encourage literacy and numeracy, Kidzsmart's branded activity books, custom board games, and other promotional materials pass the parent test... and encourage them to play along!

Kids Placemats -- cool branded designs!

2008-07-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I'm Rob and I'm the newest member of the Kidzsmart team.

It looks like I'm going to be keeping up this blog for a while and since I'm just finding my way around, I might as well share what I discover.

First of all, I just found the latest kids placemat designs, available with your own menu and logo printed on them. After asking around, it looks like there are dozens of different designs available for instant online ordering.

We will, of course, create a unique one featuring your own logo, color scheme, and branding elements if you prefer.

Here's the Outerspace and Pirate B designs, complete with games and puzzles to keep the whole family entertained.

Hope you like 'em!

Kids choose the meal... AND the place to stay!

2008-07-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

If you're not receiving our newsletter, we'd love to send it to you! Feel free to say hi in the comments section of this blog or drop us a quick email to newsletter@kidzsmart.com and we'll have you set up!

Here's a bit of our most recent newsletter:

"We've always had requests from hotels and quickserve establishments, but have only recently embarked on focusing our ability to communicate brand messages to children in these two markets," says Dennis O'Brien, company President and Founder. "Years of success in providing paper-based children's marketing materials to casual restaurant chains has given Kidzsmart some new insights and solutions for marketing to families in the quickserve and hotel chain environments," he added.

In the quickserve market there is a long tradition of providing plastic toys and other giveaways to entice repeat business. There is clear recognition of the importance of marketing to kids and families. "What we hope to add to the mix is a more effective way to communicate brand messages to kids and have them interact with the brand in a way that toys and giveaways just don't provide," says Mike Haines, General Manager and Vice President of Kidzsmart. "Our recent work with quickserve chain Burgerville demonstrates that well-branded, environmentally-friendly, paper-based products have great potential in the take-out environment."

The hotel market is no stranger to branding. Today, there is growing recognition in the industry that deepening the family experience on a visit to a hotel can build brand loyalty. "If a family with young children is greeted with a fun activity kit that serves to build what we call a "signature family experience" for the brand, there's an obvious upside for both hotel and patron," notes Bill Brunson, Director of Sales and Marketing. "The more memorable and fun the experience is, the more likely the kids will say let's stay there again, which is the desired response."

Contact Kidzsmart to discuss custom, branded solutions for your hotel or restaurant!

Meet me in Chicago!

2008-02-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

We're off in May for our eighth trip to the National Restaurant Show and hope to see you there. May 17 - 20 at McCormick Place is where all the action takes place and if you have never been before, take good walking shoes because it is HUGE!

Cheryl and Bonnie will be at Booth 4742. They will be pleased to explain how Kidzsmart can help you capture the family market and keep the kids happy. They'll bring armfulls of exciting new samples of work done for our many happy customers.

See you in May!

KidsZONE Activity Books

2007-11-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

In a neat and complete package of four, Our kid friendly activity books have just been reprinted!

Educational and Interactive: KidsZone Activity Books
are the greatest addition to every child's memorable moment of quiet thoughtfulness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-08T15:36:00.001-08:00

Market Moves...........

2007-08-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, the market for custom branded activity books continues to surprise!! More and more customers are recognising the opportunity to market their brand to children and families through interactive puzzles and games, both in the restaurant market and in our other markets. We recently completed a project with Telus, a large Telco in Canada and we're very excited about assisting them in reaching their family audience.

We are also, at customer requests, working on innovations designed to eliminate the need for plastic toys from China which have typically been used to augment childrens' programs at restaurants. The customers of restaurant chains are looking for environmentally friendly alternatives to plastic toys (not to mention the recent lead-poisoning scare ) and restaurants are responding - therefore so is Kidzsmart. Look for news on an innovative line of environmentally friendly table toys coming soon!