It’s a terrible feeling to crave a box of Tagalongs or Thin Mints but not be able to buy them because you can’t find any Girl Scouts. But thanks to technology, cookie cravings no longer have to be ignored.
Starting this cookie season, which typically takes place from January to April, the Girl Scouts of the United States of America organization will be selling their popular cookies online.
Kelly Parisi, the organization’s chief communications director, explained that not being able to find a Girl Scout is consistently the top reason why people don’t buy bookies. This new endeavor will teach the Girl Scouts additional skill while offering the consumer more options.
Participating in this Digital Cookie program will teach the girls about running and marketing an online business.
There will be an individual Digital Cookie website for each Girl Scout that includes a short video of the girl telling her story and trying to make the sale.
Since the more than 2 million Girl Scouts are mostly underage, there are precautions set to keep them safe in the online environment. The websites will not list full names or locations of the girls and online customers have to be preapproved by the girl’s parents before being able to make a purchase.
Syncing the Digital Cookie website with Facebook will allow parents to easily get their social circles connected to their child’s website. It will also increase the potential number of customers, as most people probably have access to at least one parent of a Girl Scout within their social networks.
Selling the cookies online also means that they can now be shipped globally.
In the past, selling Girl Scout cookies online has been against the rules, with the organization asking people to take down YouTube videos and Facebook pages for cookie sales. This new program allows for a more modern transaction while keeping the children safe.
Learning about entrepreneurship is the main goal of selling cookies, so adding an online option could teach marketable skills to the new generation, helping them learn to become online entrepreneurs.
Proceeds from the cookie sales go toward funding programs, activities and field trips for Girl Scouts.
