But that's really how it works

If you're in the mood to make some money, kids are going to be your best friends. Not that you really have to care about them or anything. You just have to convince them that they need what you're selling, and you're golden. Adults will purchase a cheaper off-brand thing if it has the same ingredients/functions/whatever. Kids will not. They will demand the brand-name, not-necessarily-superior thing, and sadly, most of them will get it because their parents are too tired/lazy/whatever to fight them. So really, marketing to kids is like printing your own money, provided you can come up with something they like.

I'm fairly sure that McDonald's, Disney, Coke, and Pepsi are well aware of this. The difference between fast-food burgers is noticeable, but most parents will suffer through a less-than-stellar fast-food burger if it will get their kid(s) to stop clamoring for a Happy Meal featuring a toy from the latest Disney-mangled fairy tale. To be entirely honest, I'm kind of surprised that Starbucks doesn't have a kids' menu yet. When it finally gets one, remember who thought of it first. No, not me. The tobacco companies. Duh.

Worth noting: I'm pretty sure that this "unemployed Arlo" bit is the longest-running pseudo-storyline RAoK has had yet. Time to put that to a stop.