Cookie Reboot

We just finished cookie pre-orders in my council, and I heard through the grapevine that we were 12% under sales from this time last year.  I’ve read on other GS groups that other leaders are reporting that sales are down as well.

I’m not surprised.  Some people think Girl Scouts cookies have taken a hit lately with the articles floating around on the internet – because you know if you read it on the internet, it must be true, right?  Don’t try to do your own research or verify what you’ve just read or anything.  That might take effort. 

But when it comes down to it, I think those articles are not the main reason for the slow down in sales.  I don’t even think the price increases have a lot to do with it either.  Girl Scout cookies need a reboot when it comes to marketing.

First and foremost, GSUSA and their marketing department (or whomever they are using) have forgotten the scarcity principle.  So what’s that?  It’s when you motivate a potential customer by telling them that the product is in short supply or will not be around for very long.  This in turn creates an urgency in which the customer feels like they’re going to be left out if they don’t ACT NOW!  You see it in action during the fall with the pumpkin spice flavored everything or with eggnog only being sold during the Christmas season.

Well, Girl Scouts cookies have this scarcity built in since they’re only sold once a year.  Or at least, that’s the way it used to be.  Now you can get that Girl Scout flavor at any grocery store because of GSUSA’s cross-promotion product sales.  By the way, Breyers – your Samoa ice cream is AWFUL.  It tastes nothing like Samoas.  It tastes like [insert bad word.]  Anyway, there’s no need to stock up on cookies and freeze them since you can get your Girl Scout cookie fix at any point during the year.  So there’s nothing “special” about them anymore.

I suppose the question would be – do the sales from the cross-promotion products bring in more than what would be made if you got rid of them and went back to a cookie-only once a year model?  Inquiring minds want to know.

The other thing I would change up would be the packaging.  GSUSA should do something every couple of years where they pull out a retro design.  Use past promotional items and graphics like the ones found here at the Vintage GS Online Museum (great site BTW!).  It’ll grab people’s attention (everybody likes retro!) and will also pull at heart strings when women reminisce on their past Girl Scout days growing up.  “Aw, I remember that poster!  Give me a case of Thin Mints!”

I’ve been a leader for six years, and I think it’s been a while since they changed the package designs.  Or if they did, it wasn’t memorable enough.

Well GSUSA, there are my ideas.  For what it’s worth (not much, I’m sure), they are coming from an ad major at UGA and a former media planner and buyer in Atlanta.  You’re welcome.