Sie sind auf Seite 1von 8

Consumer Relations 1 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

Title:

Public Relations Case Study: Oreos Consumer Relations and PR Ethics Sarah Morgan (2011) Katrina J. Quinn, Ph. D.

Author: Faculty Sponsor: Abstract

This project examines the consumer relations and public relations ethics demonstrated by Oreo by analyzing two campaigns, DSRL and Shut the Front Door. After evaluating the campaigns, this project assesses the strengths of Oreos efforts and provides suggestions on how they may be improved. This project also presents a comparison with the consumer relations efforts of Chips Ahoy!. Finally this project provides a description of Oreos compliance with the Public Relations Society of America Code of Ethics. The research for this project was conducted through the use of various websites and online documents including the websites for Nabisco, Kraft Inc., and PRSA. The research evaluates Oreos consumer relations both through its campaigns and its online presence specifically on its various social media sites and its website. The ethics demonstrated by Oreo, and its owner Kraft Inc., were compared to the values listed by PRSA. The research reveals Oreos impressive consumer relations. However, the presentation of Oreos corporate information is not supplied in a convenient manner for consumers, partners or investors. While Oreo still conducts superior consumer relations tactics, opportunities exist for them to improve.

Consumer Relations 2 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

Oreos Background Oh, oh, oh, ice-cold milk and an Oreo case study. They forever go together, what a classic combination! Since its creation in 1912 by Nabisco, Oreo has sold over 362 billion cookies making it th the 20 centurys best selling cookie (Rosenberg). Today more than 20.5 million Oreos are eaten each day (American Eats), which is more than the populations of Greece and Sweden combined (List). Oreo is owned by Kraft Foods Inc., the worlds second largest food company. Kraft had over $49 billion in revenues in 2010 (OreoAstroturf, At Last). Oreo has had numerous promotional campaigns; two recent campaigns were the DSRL campaign and its promotional campaign for the Fudge Creme Oreo. DSRL Campaign In 2008, with the help of HMT Associates, Oreo launched the Double Stuf Racing League (DSRL) campaign to make a professional sport out of twisting, licking and dunking a Double Stuf Oreo(Oreo PMA). The objectives were to increase Oreo sales by 1.7%; create a brand experience for Oreo Double Stuf cookies that differentiates the product experience from that of original Oreo, while retaining the childlike delight and moments of connectedness that the overall Oreo brand brings to consumers; and develop an integrated campaign thats engaging, experiential and true to the Oreo brand essence (Oreo PMA). Beginning in January 2008, quarterback brothers Eli and Peyton Manning were featured in television commercials of a mock press conference to announce their decision to become two sport athletes(Oreo PMA). The name of the second sport was kept secret, but people were encouraged to visit www.whatsthesecondsport.com to find out more. Then in mid-January, a second commercial was released announcing they were participating in the Oreo Double Stuf Racing League. The commercial encouraged viewers to join DSRL, enter contests, buy DSRL gear and visit dsrl.com. HMT identified Mom as being the primary consumer and sought to create a event that would be fun while still being family oriented (Event Marketing). The event was an instant win promotion that was held from January to May. It included an opportunity for ten consumers to win a trip to New Orleans in July to meet the Mannings. While in New Orleans, the winners would participate in a Lick Race with the Mannings to compete for a $10,000 grand prize (Oreo PMA). In August, tennis sisters Venus and Serena Williams joined the DSRL campaign. Advertisements showed the Williams sisters competing with the Manning brothers in the ultimate lick-off (Oreo PMA). The DSRL campaign successfully licked all objectives, including over a 10% sales increase for 2008, over 208 million public relations impression, and over 2.3 million promotional entries (Oreo PMA). In 2009, AstroTurf became the DSRLs first official sponsor. The press release that was sent out regarding the sponsorship included a quote from Kraft Foods director of consumer and customer engagement Stephen Chriss. Chriss stated, Selecting AstroTurf as the official turf for the DSRL makes perfect sense because its a high quality product that will make it even more exciting for everyone, from professional athletes to consumer fans, to compete and show off their

Consumer Relations 3 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

lick racing skills (Oreo AstroTurf). AstroTurf, with DSRL, built an official field in West Palm Beach, Florida for the first Oreo DSRL competition. The competition took place on April 24 between two teams of finalists. The teams competed to win a $10,000 grand prize and the title of fastest Oreo twister, licker and dunker(Oreo Astroturf). In Fall 2009, Donald Trump attempted to buy the DSRL league, but when Oreo rejected his bid, he challenged Manning brothers to a lick off for the DSRL in January 2010. If Trump won he would be the leagues first owner; if the Manning brothers won, the DSRL would remain a league of the people(Manning Kraft). The lick off took place in the Trump Dome located inside the Trump Tower. Donald Trump and his partner Donald Trump, actor Darrell Hammond who was dressed up to look like Trump, competed in a lick race against the Manning brothers(Wong). When the Manning brothers won against the Double Trump, Oreo responded by giving away 150,000 coupons for Golden Double Stuf Oreos via their Facebook page (Mannings) Currently the DSRL team consists of Shaquille ONeal, Eli Manning, Venus Williams, Apolo Ohno, and Stufy, the DSRL mascot (At Last). In August, Oreo enlisted the help of the DSRL team to help promote a new product, the Triple Double Oreo. A tab was dedicated on Oreos website to the new cookie with the advertisement featuring the DSRL team. The website page also included a game series where players had to find items in the DSRL teams locker room including Stufy and a Triple Double Oreo cookie. The DSRL campaign became a finalist for Promos 2009 PRO Awards for the best multidiscipline campaign. The PRO awards is the most prestigious promotion marketing awards program in the world and recognizes the best in promotion marketing in 23 categories (About Promo). Krafts Oreo received recognition for its integration of print, PR, television, radio, and online to create a holistic approach(2009). Oreos DSLR campaign also was the 2009 Promotion Marketing Associations SUPER REGGIE winner, the highest honor in integrated marketing (Krafts ). The president of the PMA stated, The Oreo Double Stuf Racing League campaign from Kraft and its agency partners is an amazing example of how marketing can truly make a difference in a companys bottom line (Krafts). Shut the Front Door Campaign Another of Oreos new products is the Fudge Creme Oreo. The webpage for the Fudge Creme Oreo appeals to a variety of publics by including games, flavor polls, and links to the Moments Gallery and the 30 second television commercial. The advertisement for the product, created by the agency Draftfcb New York, features two teenage children and a dad sitting at a kitchen table. When the dad tries the Fudge Creme Oreo, he cant believe theres cream inside. Because the children and dad begin making such a fuss, the mom walks into the kitchen and tries one to which she replies, Shut the Front Door. The commercial continues and shows the grandfather exclaiming Franklin Delano before cutting away to the promotional illustration of the cookie (Oreo Fudge; Oreo Fudge Cremes). The 30-second commercial received over 235,000 views and over 630 likes on YouTube. The shortened 15-second version of the commercial received over 1.1 million views on YouTube and became the most viewed video on Oreos channel. The advertisement combined common vernacular for children, adults and elders increasing its target audience.

Consumer Relations 4 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

Unfortunately, some consumers took offense to Oreo including the expression Shut the Front Door in the commercial. The organization One Million Moms launched their own campaign to have Kraft pull the advertisement immediately (Issue). OMM explained that because Shut the Front Door is a euphemism for Shut the F*** Up in todays teen jargon, mothers were finding the expression in the commercial offensive since it could cause our children to have dirty mouths (Issue). OMM then encouraged people to email or call Kraft and ask the ad be pulled. The email OMM asked people to send included the statements, I believe a family company should be more responsible in its advertising, and If the ad continues to run as it is, then I will not feel comfortable purchasing your Kraft and Nabisco products (Take Action). The negative attention One Million Moms brought to Kraft caused the online newspaper Seattle Post-Intelligencer to conduct a poll on their website regarding how people viewed the commercial. People were asked I think the ad is then given the options of Inappropriate. Take it off the air, Fine. Its front-doorin hilarious that this is a controversy, and Making me want to eat cookies(Why), Over 2,600 people participated in the pole with 73% selecting the ad was Fine. Its front-doorin hilarious that this is a controversy (Why). The option Inappropriate. Take it off the air was the least selected answer and received only 12% of the votes (Why). Comparison with Chips Ahoy! Both Chips Ahoy! and Oreo are owned by Kraft Foods Inc. and Nabisco, however Oreo has outperformed Chips Ahoy! in regards to public relations and marketing strategies. In the past five years, Chips Ahoy! has one press release listed on Krafts website. Oreo, on the other hand, has 11 listed. Though both companies use social media, Oreo lists their Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube on their website but Chips Ahoy! only lists Facebook and YouTube. On YouTube, Chips Ahoy! has 118 subscribers and just over 500,000 upload views. Oreo has over 8000 subscribers and almost 3.5 million upload views. On Facebook, Chips Ahoy has around 400,000 likes. In its about section, Chips Ahoy! refers to itself as the #1 Chocolate Chip Cookie Brand in America!. Chips Ahoy! uses its Facebook profile picture solely to display its product, but does offer polls and statuses that prompt consumer response. Its page featured a Chewy Gooey tab where consumers who had tried a free sample of the cookies could post their thoughts on it. Oreos Facebook page has over 23.5 million likes. In its about section, Oreo says its The Worlds Favorite Cookie. It uses its profile picture to display its Worlds Fan of the Week. Since July 2010, consumers were encouraged to post or tag pictures of themselves with an Oreo product. Once a week a consumer is randomly selected to become Oreos Worlds Fan of the Week. Oreos Facebook page also includes tabs to view its commercials, enter promotional contests and receive coupons. Because Oreo says its the worlds favorite cookie, its Facebook page also includes tabs pertaining to different parts of the world including Australian Reindeers, Oreo Middle East, Oreo Puerto Rico, and Czech &Slovak. Oreo also offers the option to Say it with Oreo where Facebook users can post messages on friends walls with pictures of Oreos such as Were a Perfect Pair which shows a glass of milk and an Oreo, and Happy Birthday which shows an Oreo with birthday candles on it. Oreos Facebook appeals to

Consumer Relations 5 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

a broader variety of publics, allows for greater consumer interaction, and prompts more two-way communication with its consumers regarding their products than Chips Ahoy!. Another way in which Oreo outperformed Chips Ahoy! is on its website. Chips Ahoy!s website has three tabs at the top for Varieties, Games and Buy Now, and links to its YouTube channel and Facebook page. All of the varieties and games can be reached by scrolling down the homepage. The sections of the website that feature the different varieties only show the products packaging, a brief description of the product, and a link for more product information. The games on the website, apart from being displayed among chocolate chips and below the Chips Ahoy! header, dont relate to the product or company. Oreos website also has three tabs at the top along with links to their social media sites. Unlike Chips Ahoy! these tabs take the viewer to separate web pages. The first tab is for the Moments Gallery which allows consumers to post pictures, videos, and stories involving Oreo products. The second tab relates to its featured products. This tab currently features the Triple Double Oreo. The webpage includes pictures of team DSRL, the commercial for the Triple Double Oreo, a link to play the Triple Double Oreo Challenge and the option to like Oreo on Facebook. The third tab takes the view to Nabiscos web page displaying all 62 of Oreos products with links to each products nutrition information. Overall Oreos website and social media sites are more developed, more consumer friendly, and appeal to a wider variety of publics than Chips Ahoy!s. Assessment Oreo has done an outstanding job of setting itself apart from its competition. Oreos DSRL campaign not only created a sport out of eating one of its products, but also allowed Oreo to form a partnership with AstroTurf, have multiple well-known athletes endorse its product, and even cause Donald Trump to become interested in buying the league. The DSRL campaign maintained Oreos core values and consumers while expanding upon its partners, publics and target audience. Oreos website and social media sites are well maintained and appeal to a variety of audiences from children to adults. Oreo focuses on having two-way communication with its consumers through polls, pictures, and comments on their social media sites. Unlike its competitor Chips Ahoy!, Oreo focuses on building relationships with its consumers instead of simply trying to sell its product. Oreo combines multiple forms of advertising with public relations in order to effectively promote its products and the company. Suggestions Because Oreo does promote itself as being a family friendly company, accusations of Oreo intentionally trying to corrupt childrens language through their Shut the Front Door commercial could harm the companys reputation. My first suggestion would be to be more cautious of the language presented in its advertisements. Though many people didnt see anything wrong with the commercial, Oreo could have prevented the negative attention brought on by One Million Moms if it simply had the mom in the advertisement say Shut Up instead and avoided the near curse word. My second suggestion is for Kraft to better publicize what events and promotions the companies they own are conducting. Because Kraft Inc. is such a large organization, I believe they cant effectively promote all of their companies. Therefore I believe Oreo should have a

Consumer Relations 6 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

corporate page on its website where it could post its own press releases and noteworthy information that would be easier for consumers, investors and partners to find. PRSA Code of Ethics The PRSA Code of Ethics describes six values: advocacy, honesty expertise, independence, loyalty and fairness (PRSA). Kraft Inc. says theyre inspired by their consumers and are constantly looking for fresh ideas to improve our workplace, our partnerships, our communities and our world(Who). They also stated they are open and inclusive and tell it like it is(Who). These statements are reflected in Oreos campaigns. Oreo actively participates in two-way communication with consumers. Oreo openly provides the nutritional information on its products on its website. On its social media sites, Oreo encourages consumers to critique its product and provide honest answers whether the comments are positive or negative. In its campaigns, Oreo has remained true to its core values and consumers, utilized its partners and spokespersons, and promoted its products in a family friendly manner without criticizing other companies. Oreos use of social media, its website, and the implementation of various advertisements and tactics demonstrate its impressive consumer relations. Oreo encourages open two-way communication with its consumers, and forms beneficial partnerships with organizations and prominent public figures. Oreos campaigns not only capture the audiences attention, but motivate consumers to purchase its products while forming lasting relationships with its publics.

Consumer Relations 7 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

Works Cited "2009 Pro Awards: Oreo DSRL Campaign." Promomagazine.com. PROMO Magazine. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://promomagazine.com/pro_awards/oreo-drsl-campaign/index.html>. "About the Pro Awards." Promomagazine.com. PROMO Magazine. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://promomagazine.com/pro_awards/>. "American Eats: Oreo." History.com. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.history.com/videos/ american-eats-oreo>. "At Last! The New Triple Double Oreo Cookie Hitting Shelves Now." Kraftfoodscompany.com. Kraft Foods Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/MediaCenter/ country-pressreleases/us/2011/Pages/us_pr_08172011.aspx>. "Event Marketing." Hmtassociates.com. HMT. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.hmtassociates.com/>. "Issue Details: Oreos Should Throw Their New Ad Out the Front Door." One Million Moms.com. One Million Moms. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.onemillionmoms.com/IssueDetail.asp?id=414>. "Krafts Oreo Double Stuf Racing League (DSRL) Campaign Licks the Competition With SUPER REGGIE Win." Lexdon.com. Lexdon Business Library. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://www.lexdon.com/article/krafts_oreo(r)_double_stuf_racing/383398.html>. "List of Countries by Population." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population>. "Manning Brothers and "Double Trump" Face-off for the Future of the Oreo Double Stuf Racing League (DSRL)." Kraftfoodscompany.com. Kraft Foods Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/MediaCenter/country-pressreleases/us/2010/Pages/us_pr_01122010.aspx>. "Mannings Vs. Trump in Oreo DSRL." Akamediainc.com. AKA's SMNR Newsroom. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://smnr.akamediainc.com/dsrl-trump-versus-mannings/>. "Oreo Double Stuf Racing League." Pmalink.org. Promotion Marketing Assoication, Inc. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.pmalink.org/resource/resmgr/pdf/oreodsrl.pdf>. "OREO DOUBLE STUF RACING LEAGUE PROUDLY ANNOUNCES ASTROTURF AS FIRST OFFICIAL SPONSOR." Astroturfusa.com. AstroTurf. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.astroturfusa.com/Press-Releases.aspx?id=167>.

Consumer Relations 8 OREO CONSUMER RELATIONS [Sarah Morgan 2011]

"Oreo Fudge Cremes - Shut the Front Door - (2011) :30 (USA) Commercials | Adland.tv." Adland.tv. Adland.tv. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://adland.tv/commercials/oreo-fudgecremes-shut-front-door-2011-30-usa>. "Oreo Fudge Cremes Commercial - Indescribably Good! (30 Sec) - YouTube." Youtube.com. YouTube. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr0PPUruWd8>. "PRSA Member Statement of Professional Values." Prsa.org. Public Relations Society of America. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.prsa.org/AboutPRSA/Ethics/CodeEnglish/>. Rosenberg, Jennifer. "History of the Oreo Cookie." About.com. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://history1900s.about.com/od/1910s/a/oreohistory.htm>. "Take Action: Oreos Should Throw Their New Ad Out the Front Door." One Million Moms.com. One Million Moms. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://www.onemillionmoms.com/TakeAction.asp?id=414>. "Who We Are." Kraftfoodscompany.com. Kraft Foods Inc. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/ABOUT/WHO-WE-ARE/index.aspx>. "Why Moms Hate This Oreo Commercial." Seattlepi.com. Seattle's Big Blog. Web. 29 Nov. 2011. <http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/07/17/why-moms-hate-this-oreocommercial/>. Wong, Elaine. "How Kraft's Double Stuf Oreo Launch Trumped Expectations." Adweek.com. Adweek. Web. 5 Dec. 2011. <http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/howkrafts-double-stuf-oreo-launch-trumped-expectations-106352>.

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen