It's the time of the year again when everyone's cabinets are full of their favorites- Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs, and while our waistlines may be unforgiving, the Girl Scouts have grown into the 21st century with new mobile strategies that are making our favorite cookies more accessible than ever. The Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland and the Girl Scouts San Diego Imperial Council have embraced technology and have reaped the benefits because of it.
An article on Ragan.com by Matt Wilson outlines some of the exciting new ways that these old-school cookies have embraced new-school media tactics to increase their sales and audience outreach:
Card Readers:
Troops in Ohio were provided with phones that had credit/debit card readers attached to them so that customers were provided the option to pay conveniently with card rather than cash or check. Although the price of the cookies has increased from $3 to $3.50, rather than a decline in sales, numbers have remained parallel to last year's because of new strategies such as this one.
Smart phone Apps:
The applications, Little Brownie Bakers and Cookie Locator, allows customers to locate the closest cookie-selling spots with just a few taps. These applications have become incredibly popular, rising as high as the #17 free app on iTunes.
Social Media:
This is the first time that Ohio's Heartland Council is using social media to sell cookies, connecting with sellers through Facebook pages. In San Diego, the Facebook Page is used to congratulate top sellers and talk about sales, while Youtube is used to advertise their top selling pitches.
As a former Girl Scout and an avid fan of America's favorite cookies, I am excited to see such a traditional and long-standing organization embracing new and innovative ways to connect with their audiences. There are several opportunities for further growth with additional channels and platforms, such as Twitter and Foursquare. The key to their success is making the cookie-buying process as easy and convenient as possible, and from the looks of their new mobile marketing strategies, it looks like the Girl Scouts are well on their way.
No comments:
Post a Comment