Thin Mints
Last month, Girl Scout cookies made their annual appearance in the office. It was a joyous time. There is a great branding lesson here:
- Don’t mess with a good thing. Girl Scout cookies have changed very little over time. Sure the packaging and some ingredients have changed, but the cookies themselves have remained largely consistent – one of the values of an outstanding brand.
- Fondness makes the heart grow stronger. No doubt the Girl Scouts have had numerous offers to license, franchise, and globalize their cookies. Seeing them on the grocery store shelf every week would likely kill the brand and the entrepreneurial lessons learned in the sales process.
- Revenue supports the values, not vice-versa. The organization is first and foremost about building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. The annual sale is a tangible extension of and means to achieve those values rather than an effort to fill the coffers.
Now, if you will excuse us, we have to go find the person who raided our stash of Thin Mints.
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