You ever wonder why kids who can barely talk somehow manage to utter the word, ''McDonald's''? No matter how sophisticated their palate, kids from all walks of life can always manage to point at the golden arches and yell out, ''Happy Meal!'' You may feed them filet mignon at home, but the only way to get a little peace on the excruciatingly long ride to Grandma's is a four–piece Chicken Mcnugget Happy Meal with, of course, the toy.

Usually a portable version of Disney’s latest leading character, the ''TOOOOOOOY'' as my child once called it, is a fine example of sheer branding brilliance. Never solely relying on product or service, McDonald’s has firmly situated itself as a marketing giant by providing a tangible, sensible, memorable impression in the form of Hannah Montana.

As you know, the perception consumers have of a company extends well beyond the product or service it provides. What McDonald’s has mastered is the idea of brand experience. Taking it a step further than a Double Cheeseburger, McDonald’s has created a lasting image in the minds of consumers by providing a plethora of avenues by which to connect to the brand. One of the most popular being the toy offered in Happy Meals.

The Happy Meal toy is much more than child’s play. Rather, it is a promotional product; an audience-focused, easily distributed, influential advertising method that has the ability to build a relationship with the recipient. Unique to other advertising mediums, promotional items engage consumers and build rapport. Once children receive the newest edition to the Polly Pocket™ or Spy Gear™ collection, they have built an unspoken relationship with McDonald’s that will continue throughout the useful life of the product, or until the next toy comes out. In contrast, a relationship with most other media begins when you see it and ends when you look away.

To determine the impact of promotional products on brand experience and brand image, Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) and Georgia Southern University conducted a study using an experimental design. The participants, who were students at the university, were divided into two groups and were asked to complete a pre-test. The experimental group received an imprinted promotional product, while the control group received nothing.

A post-test survey, conducted approximately a month later, asked questions to determine the groups’ image of the company. The results of this study are based on a sample size of 647 completed pre-test surveys and 538 completed post-test surveys. For the study, the researchers selected, as the test company, a restaurant located in a college town a few miles from a university campus.

The results showed that promotional product recipients held a more positive impression of the restaurant than non-recipients, specifically in areas such as image, uniqueness, perception, and likely lunch/dinner patronage. Results of the study also showed that promotional product recipients were significantly more likely to recommend the business to others.

So, who put the ''happy'' in Happy Meal? Ask any kids around and they’ll tell you the happiest part of any Happy Meal is the toy. And they’re right, too. McDonald’s knows the link it has created between the consumer and itself—using a small, inexpensive promotional item—is priceless. As long as McDonald’s continues to offer more than just a meal, but a ''happy'' meal, the golden arches will continue to be more than just a mere brand logo, but rather a symbol of marketing ingenuity. With those kinds of results, just imagine what promotional products could do for you.

For more details about this study, contact Anne Lardner at 972-258-3041 or AnneL@ppai.org.

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