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Selling to Kids, Jan 24, 2001

Some of the most innovative and entertaining sites marketing to kids online come from food manufacturers. This month, we look at a few smart cookies. These sites typically don't offer ad space, but you can find a ton of ideas on reaching kids in a fun, creative way.

Ranking system: * = Web Waste; ** = Snoozefest; ***= Going for Gold; **** = Jackpot

Site and Ranking: Planet Twinkie http://www.twinkies.com *** 1/2
Kid Appeal: This graphic-filled site features snack cakes galore. Hostess'
Twinkie, Ho Ho, Ding Dong and Cup Cake all get their own standalone sites,
featuring games, recipes and electronic greetings.  Kids can play a PacMan-type

game in which they try to gobble down Ho Hos before their friends do.  The site

also has a feature called Senseless Survey, where kids respond to a monthly
question (this month: If the Hostess characters were professional wrestlers,
what would their wrestling names be?).  The folks at Planet Twinkie post their
favorite 10 responses each month and the No. 1 respondent gets a free Planet
Twinkie T-shirt.  The site's World of Wackiness section contains a hodge-podge
of weird Hostess stuff - like a wedding cake made of 280 Hostess Cup Cakes
(and,
of course, a bride and groom topper made of Twinkies).
Parent Appeal: Parents should be forewarned that the site has a link to the
T.W.I.N.K.I.E.S. Project Web site, featuring several Twinkie experiments
conducted by Rice University students.  The site appeals more to adults, but
has
Twinkie the Kid saying, "Hey, kids! Try these wholesome experiments!"  We don't

think he's serious - at least we hope not! One experiment includes a Bic
lighter
and a large quantity of rubbing alcohol.  Personal info given by visitors under

12 needs parental permission and won't be used for marketing purposes.
Partners & Promos: When we visited, this site featured no advertising beyond
the
Hostess brand. The site does have a picture of a burro named Twinkie, the
mascot
for the Federal Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro Program, and a

link to the agency's Adopt a Living Legend Program for America's free-roaming
horses and burros.

Site and Ranking: Mootown.com  http://www.mootown.com/  ** 1/2
Kid Appeal: The folks at Sargento Foods have whipped up a site based on their
MooTown Snacks.  Kids can make music at the MooTunes keyboard, record it and
play it back.  There are also several Shockwave games.  We found most of them
pretty challenging - particularly a Frogger-like game in which you have to help

Mo (MooTown's cartoon cow) across several lanes of traffic.  Some of the site's

components are printouts.  We thought they'd be much more fun if they could be
reworked into Web-based activities.
Parent Appeal: The site collects almost no personally identifiable information.

MooTown has a lot of information on the import-ance of calcium in a child's
diet.  There is also a link for parents to check out tips and recipes from
Sargento.
Partners & Promos: Currently, there are none.  Mootown.com used to feature Cow
Chips - which kids could save and redeem for goodies. Barbara Gannon,
Sargento's
VP of corporate and marketing commun-ications, says the feature may return.

Site and Ranking: YouRuleSchool  http://www.youruleschool.com  ****A1
Kid Appeal: General Mills has come up with a unique concept for its site - a
school that kids rule. Kids come up with a screen name and are given a locker
and password they can reuse. General Mills does a good job incorporating their
cereals and other products into the site.  Kids can check out the Rad Science
Room for instructions on simple experiments - like making rock candy.  With
tons
of games and puzzles, there is a lot to do at YouRuleSchool, which will help
encourage repeat traffic.
Parent Appeal: Any personal information given is used solely for entertainment
purposes or to improve the site, according to YouRuleSchool's privacy policy.
Plus, a "Commercial Break" icon appears on the site whenever specific
information is given about General Mills products.  Take note that any email
sent to General Mills or the site's characters may be posted for anyone to see.
Partners & Promos: The promotion area of the site looks dated. It features a
promotional spot for Disney's "Dinosaurs" and DreamWork's "Road to El Dorado,"
both now on video.

Site and Ranking: Chefboy  http://www.chefboy.com  ***
Kid Appeal: Instead of kids watching your commercials, why not let them create
their own?  Chefboy lets kids use images from real Chef Boyardee commercials to

create their own commercials, for which they write the captions.  Creativity is

key at Chefboy.  The site updates the classic virtual coloring page by allowing

kids to turn it into their own comic strips.  Kids color each scene online and
write captions for it.  Chefboy also features animated cartoons and arcade
style
games.
Parent Appeal: Chefboy displays an Ad Alert box to mark commercial messages.
Kids under 13 must enter their parent's email address before giving any
personal
information.  Parents are then alerted. Chef Boyardee pledges to "never sell,
transfer, or disclose any information we gather at our Web sites to any third
parties without your prior consent."
Partners & Promos: The Chef Boyardee online racing catalog features Bobby
Labonte and Tony Stewart racing merch-andise.  You can send away for the goods
by mailing the order form along with cash and proofs-of-purchase.