Plug-and-Play Brand

All Resources / Activating Students / Plug + Play School Meal Brand

We know the power of a brand in a grocery store or at a restaurant, but what about in school meal programs? Adding branded elements to program touch points can bring freshness to meals and help students see the food in a new light. You can also get students involved in designing the brand!

Instructions

Time Considerations: This could take up to several months if there’s a need to order materials and receive approval; actual application of branding in the line can be very fast if just using a sticker

Materials Needed: Color printer, materials like stickers or aprons depending on how you’d like to feature the brand

Participants: You and the kitchen team; possibly other management or administrators if you think it will need approval; students can help to design the brand and different features

Step One

Using the customizable logo template, customize the design of your choice to make it your own. Update the placeholder name to your district, school, mascot, or another title that feels relevant and personal to your students. Adjust the sizing of text to fit. Try updating colors to reflect your school identity.

Step Two

Determine areas where you might want to use this brand. Which areas might be improved if students saw them from a different perspective? Use the other approaches in Activating Students to gather ideas. For example, is there a particular menu item that could get a boost from being sealed with a branded sticker?

Step Three

Test your ideas and designs before investing heavily in printing or uniforms. Ask a small group of staff members or students to react to a few ideas you are considering.

This tool is meant to give you an easy and actionable way to get started, but the ultimate goal of these engagement efforts is to find ways to bring students into program design. This can be a great activity to use as a first step in co-creating with students.