How Girl Scout Cookie Brand Names Cause Chaos amongst Consumers
There are few people in the world (or at least in our office) that don’t get excited when the time to order Girl Scout cookies rolls around. This week the cookies arrived and the debate began over which was the best.
Personally I’m partial to those cookies from the peanut butter family, but what you call them depends on where you are. What I call Peanut Butter Patties and Peanut Butter Sandwiches, others refer to as Do-si-dos and Tagalongs. There are few issues until the occasion that the brands flip. When that happens be prepared for an angry backlash.
The Girl Scouts of America have long realized that a primary driver of purchase is the fact that you feel good after making a purchase. You buy to help out the Girl Scouts. Price and actual product coming secondary. The Boston Globe reported that price “is hardly ever a factor, until buyers find out that the same box of cookies is selling for less in the next town over”.
So with goodwill being the primary driver of purchase, why not rename boring cookies with clever names to reinforce that branding? Now instead of getting a cookie you get a “Thanks-a-Lot” or a cookie that references the fun you are enabling with “Do-si-dos” or “Tagalongs”. Now you aren’t buying a cookie; you’re buying a feeling.
That’s just smart marketing.
Yet the country is split on the names of their cookies. Half call shortbread cookies “Shortbread” while the other call their cookies “Trefoils”.
Occasionally the name flips, a girl scout troop is pushing a “new” product, and people freak out a little. Why? Because there are people like me who don’t like change. I’ve been eating Peanut Butter Patties my whole life. I’m loyal to that brand and not to Tagalongs. Don’t change my delicious cookies!
Similarly a person who’s been eating “Tagalongs” their whole life doesn’t want to start selling or eating “Peanut Butter Patties”.
Carrie Stetler from the Star Ledger justifiably complains:
“I’m outraged–yes, outraged–that Girl Scout Cookies have new names.
Samoas are now “Caramel deLites.” Do-si-dos are “Peanut Butter Sandwiches.” Tagalongs are “Peanut Butter Cookies” and Trefoils are “Shortbreads.”
But how are we going to move cookies with dull names like “Peanut Butter Patties?” And won’t we get tired of explaining to customers what happened with the names?
If our cookie sales drop this year, the ABC Bakery will hear about it from this irate mom, believe you me!”
The problem is that there are two bakeries producing these cookies and only one is allowed to use the special brand names. Depending on the county you are in, you get one or the other. Occasionally your Girl Scout troop’s bakery changes and all hell breaks loose. See Carrie’s complaints and my long held refusal to acknowledge Trefoils.
So my recommendation to Girl Scouts of America – change the name and make it permanent. Consistency in branding is key and if the name changes, every year you’ll have the same freak out from some section of your customers. Work to avoid that.
In order to avoid that, put together some educational materials that explain the name change, both to the people selling and to the people buying. To the sellers explain how the name change will help improve sales and tie people to the organization. To the ultimate buyers explain how donations help the Girl Scouts they are supporting. They used to have great stories on the donation sheet and the boxes that explained how the money raised worked to benefit specific programs. That was great stuff!
What do you think? What are your cookies called? And even if called by a different name, what’s your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
Mike Santoro is President of Walker Sands Communications. He works to define integrated marketing and media communications strategy and oversees the tactical execution of marketing campaigns, communications pieces, web development, and PR outreach for the firm's top clients.
Mike,
I agree about the peanut butter cookies…and there is a lot in a name. I actually grew up with (and sold, at one point) the Girl Scout cookies that had names like Do-Si-Do and Tagalongs, and when I saw my little cousin selling cookies that were just “Peanut Butter Sandwiches,” I was upset. I felt like I was getting the generic brand of Girl Scout cookies. It was like someone giving me Jewel brand cookies when I wanted Oreos. Granted, the cookies taste the same regardless of the name, but like you said it’s all about marketing and branding. People grow up with Girl Scout cookies and get used to one brand name. They like the feeling of biting into a Samoa instead of a Coconut cookie. The name makes all the difference. Girl Scouts of America might need to make the cookie names uniform…but which route should they go? Are they ALL going to be Do-Si-Dos or are they going to be Peanut Butter Sandwiches? Either way, someone is going to be outraged.
That’s a great question. For both our reasons the Girl Scouts should commit to using their interesting brand names like Do-Si-Dos. You’ve brought up an additional point that I failed to make. The names are unique in that they identify the cookies as “Girl Scout Cookies”.
If you could just go to the grocery store to by them at any time they wouldn’t be worth enough. Also, as I’ve noted the names tie people to the experiences they are enabling. So all around it’s a good tactic to move away from the more generic names.
Now, when you do this, you need to treat the change like any other business who undergoes a product name change. That’s been the problem in the past. Consumers just see a new name change and freak out. Just like any other business undergoing a name change, they need to educate both internal and external audiences on the flip and how it’s valuable to them.
When the flip happens there should be some basic materials to educate both audiences. For the sellers there needs to be messaging on “the new names will help you sell more” while the consumers need to be reassured “these are the same cookies but they help align with our values”. Some simple language on the order sheet and a little story on the box would help with consumers, while a basic letter or other supporting materials would work to educate the sellers.
Either way, something has to be done. You can see how passionate people are about these cookies.
@Alverta Thanks for the kind words. We’re always trying to provide some great marketing advice. If it’s a topic that can be explained through office snacks we’re going to post about it.
OMG I bought the Peanut Butter Patties the other day and I am IN LOVE with Tag-A-Longs! The lady told me they were even better than Tag-A-Longs..they are NOT. They aren’t good to me at all!
They are thicker and the peanut butter does NOT taste the same. I get excited every year to have them…they better not change them for good!