Free Food for Kids

At 8 p.m. last Friday night, I sat at IHOP with my husband waiting for our food to arrive when I looked around and saw all the kids. Everywhere. GOODness. Then I noticed a table-tent card with the headline “Kid’s Eat Free” for a limited time. I thought about that. All I could think was how many free meals they were giving away at that very moment and wondered how worth it that was or wasn’t for IHOP.

 

I thought some more. It was September. Though the card didn’t say it, I surmised that this was a back-to-school promotion. Maybe the hectic nature of the school year leads families to eat out more, and IHOP wanted to cash in early and become a habit for busy families.

 

Actually, kids-eat-free promotions are common in the family dining segment, of which IHOP is a part. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I had to find out the true thinking behind the promotion, so I went online. They are a class act. IHOP positioned the promotion as “all about you.” Its press release said the kids-eat-free promotion was to help families offset the cost of buying school supplies. How special. And then they thought of other great feel-good wordage: IHOP's Kids Eat Free promotion also extends summer fun as the estimated 50 million pre-kindergarten through 8th grade students return to public schools this month. Parents can help children adjust to this often challenging time by starting daily routines that add to continuity and aid with the transition. According to the National Association for The Education of Young Children, continuing daily routines that revolve around meals can help young students adjust to their new school schedule.

 

That’s the PR angle. The consumer angle is “where can we eat for free tonight?” There are websites dedicated to listing restaurants with free kids’ meals. No parent should ever have to pay for their kids to eat again. Here’s one site: www.frugalliving.tv/free-stuff/kids-eat-free.html

 

And so I ask restaurant marketers, what are you gaining from these free-meal offers? I’d love to know.

Jody Shee

Comments

[Vegetarian or Vegan]

Its very hard to maintain Food for Kids...I wish these company’s would get their promotions together...their marketing efforts is so different from others ..http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Magazine-Your-Premium-Womens-Natural-Health-Magazine/262734921452?ref=ts Expecting even better link to the website for each restaurant....

[coach outlet]

So funny, I think.*