McDonald’s Happy Meals has just recently teamed up with the National Football League (NFL). The toy figures are based on a cartoon TV show, NFL Rush Zone. The aim of this strategic alliance is to market football to kids year 6-13. There are many reasons why kids might not be attracted to football (danger of the sport, scandals and controversies), but this partnership might change that. The NFL is also trying to attract female viewers by appealing to young girls. In 2012, 46 percent of the kids watching were girls. This will expand the target market of NFL watchers in the future and vice versa.

A strategic alliance is when two or more business seek to form a mutually beneficial; affiliation by cooperating in a business venture while still remaining independent organisations. Both parties, in this case NFL and McDonalds, gain synergy from different strengths. They also increase creditability and brand awareness than separate companies trying to compete with one another. As they now work at a larger scale, they can also benefit from economies of scale. Aside from that, they also have convenient access to wider channels of distribution.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-15/as-concussions-worry-parents-nfl-blitzes-into-happy-meals