A kids club is a kind of fan club

Fan club

A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well-known person, group, idea or sometimes even an inanimate object . Most fan clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to supporting them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the person...

, created not around a celebrity, but rather around a commercial entity

Commerce

While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...

 that caters to children or families, or the entity's mascot

Mascot

The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...

. Kids clubs serve as a promotional

Promotion (marketing)

Promotion is one of the four elements of marketing mix . It is the communication link between sellers and buyers for the purpose of influencing, informing, or persuading a potential buyer's purchasing decision....

 tool for such entities, trading discount

Discounts and allowances

Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.They can occur anywhere in the distribution channel, modifying either the manufacturer's list price , the retail price , or the list price Discounts and allowances are reductions to a basic price of goods or services.They...

 coupons, exclusive items, a newsletter

Newsletter

A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. Newspapers and leaflets are types of newsletters. Additionally, newsletters delivered electronically via email have gained rapid acceptance for the same reasons email in...

 and other offerings in exchange for family goodwill and a measure of marketing and demographic information.

Memberships in such clubs are usually restricted to children ages twelve or under, and members are typically presented with an assortment of standard fan club items: A welcome letter, a membership card (which may double as a discount or premium card at outlets), a club pin or badge, an "autographed photo" of the mascot or spokesperson, a pad of letterhead

Letterhead

A letterhead is the heading at the top of a sheet of letter paper . That heading usually consists of a name and an address, and a logo or corporate design, and sometimes a background pattern...

ed notepaper, other possible souvenirs (including a catalog or price list of more available items), and occasional mailings, usually to promote special events or member's exclusives. Some clubs encourage their members to form chapters and invite friends to join, and may offer a "club kit" with chapter materials and suggestions, sometimes for a fee, or free in exchange for member information.

Examples of this type of club include the Big Boy

Big Boy (restaurant)

Big Boy is a restaurant chain with its headquarters in Warren, Michigan.Big Boy was started in 1936 by Bob Wian, in partnership with Arnold Peterson in Glendale, California, USA. Marriott Corporation bought the chain in 1967...

 Kids Club, the Ronald McDonald

Ronald McDonald

Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...

 Club, Burger King Kids Club, the Fox Kids Clubs, the former Sambo's

Sambo's

Sambo's is a restaurant, formerly an American restaurant chain, started in 1957 by Sam Battistone Sr and Newell Bohnett. Though the name was taken from portions of the names of its founders, the chain soon found itself associated with The Story of Little Black Sambo...

 Restaurants Tiger Tamers (later the Tiger Club), and numerous retail chain clubs.