This past weekend as I dined at a Red Robin restaurant, I was reminded at how powerful targeting youth in your event and marketing efforts can be. I have two kids, 8 and 6 who have a vote (not all the time, but half the time) in our dining plans. After choosing Red Robin (our kids had never been there), they fell in love with the place. Red Robin was smart in that it catered to our family. They offered my kids balloons when they walked in the door, coloring papers and supplies, children’s size chocolate shakes, great kid’s pizza and when I asked to split a kid’s meal, they really split and gave them each their own half. After the meal, my daughter declared this was now her second favorite place to eat and will be asking to go there again soon. This dining experience showed me how marketing to kids could influence future entertainment choices. A study in 2010 by Rudd Center showed the power of marketing as it indicated that 40% of parents said their child asked to go to McDonald’s at least once a week.
