“We’re also forging partnerships with numerous kid-focused brands and testing a variety of experiential marketing opportunities that allow us to engage directly with kids and their parents,” he said.
These have included a tie-up with YouTube child creator Ryan’s World by offering a limited-edition Ryan’s Way pizza at locations nationwide.
In addition, it recently partnered with the American Society for Deaf Children for a long-term partnership that will comprise fundraising, implementing American Sign Language (ASL) training across its restaurants, and debuting a Sign Along series on YouTube.
Awareness among today’s kids, AKA Gen Alpha, is the key KPI for Kupferman right now, and his team is working on “innovative” ways to measure their reaction. He said the brand is also tying its efforts into special promotions that are “easy to track.”
Nostalgia and affordable experiences
Kupferman said Chuck E. Cheese’s marketing budget is still being funneled into performance-focused channels aimed at parents, especially for its value-focused messaging.
“However, given how crowded the family out-of-home entertainment marketplace is now, we’re working extra hard to identify new and interesting ways to stay top-of-mind with both kids and their parents,” he explained.
As much as the Fun Pass, which offers three subscription tiers, is aimed at kids, it’s also designed for parents looking to entertain their little ones amid a cost-of-living crisis.
Starting at $7.99 per month, guests can visit Chuck E. Cheese as often as they want and play games every visit, choosing from tiers that include different amounts of gameplay, as well as food and drink discounts. One family can share a single membership.
“Parents have been telling us that high prices are keeping people from spending family time away from home with their kids,” said Kupferman, who said Chuck E. Cheese had been testing the program with high levels of success in several markets for the last nine months.