#526 world's favorite

It seems ironic to me that after doing a PowerPoint about 30+ kinds of Oreos that none of them were lemon.  Yet as early as 1924, the bakers were extending their brand to include cremes and lemon meringue.

Now the cookies are produced around the world in flavors to fit with the local culture.  In China, you can purchase Oreos with green tea ice cream flavor creme or double fruit with orange and mango.  In Indonesia, enjoy Blueberry Ice Cream or Strawberry.  Argentinians can eat Oreo Due with banana and dulce de leche or Oreo Alfajor -- three layers of cookie and creme!  

Oreos are available in more than 100 countries and is the best selling cookie in the world.  The Oreo Facebook page has more than 23 million fans (!!) and ranks in the top five Facebook pages in the world!  

As if the $1.5 billion in revenues wasn't enough for Kraft, there is an entire after market with supplemental Oreo products and uses.  There are entire sites dedicated to using Oreos in teaching, the History Channel has done a segment on how Americans eat more than 20 million Oreos a day and there are more recipes than you can imagine.

What are some lessons your organization can take from Oreos?  Even though they have been around for 100+ years, they have embraced social media and actively promote the brand on Facebook and Twitter.  They keep their advertising sharp and relevant (e.g.: ads about the Super Bowl black out and arrival of Prince George).  They introduce new flavors, contests, taste testing and promotions.  In short, they don't rest on their biscuits!

Open up a pack of Oreos, pour a glass of milk and check out some of the many websites about this product to see what you can learn for your organization.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  Kraftfoodscompany.com  Oreo 100th Birthday Global Fact Sheet
Oreo cookie moon phases image from ScienceBob.com