Girl Scouts introduce cookie-inspired snack bars

Oct. 5, 2012, 5 p.m.

Little Brownie Bakers announced today that it is appealing to a new generation of on-the-go customers by offering two flavors of Girl Scout Cookie-inspired snack bars in nine test markets. In partnership with Girl Scouts of the USA, Little Brownie is exploring the viability of Girl Scout Snack Bars as an additional product in a new format that fits the snacking preferences of today’s consumers.

Girl Scout Snack Bars are packed with wholesome ingredients like hearty rolled oats, crispy cereal and chewy granola. They have a smooth chocolaty dip along the bottom and a drizzle across the top. Tagalongs® Snack Bars contain peanut-butter chips. Double Dutch™ Snack Bars feature dark-chocolate goodness. Girl Scout Snack Bars have 4g of protein, 4g of fiber and 110 calories.

Girls will be selling the products directly to customers, either as a stand-alone offering or as part of the cookie sale.

Preliminary research suggests consumers are interested in Girl Scout Snack Bars that offer convenience and portability for their on-the-go lifestyles. Snack bars are the most popular snack food of the decade¹, and granola bars are forecasted to be the fastest-growing snack category in coming years². Granola bars are the only snack product that satisfies both reasons for snacking: indulgence and hunger³.

Along with Girl Scouts, Little Brownie Bakers remains totally committed to growing the sale of Girl Scout Cookies. The snack bar product is intended to bring incremental increases to the organization’s cookie sale by appealing to a more diverse group of customers. It may also offer alternative pathways to participation in Girl Scout activities.

The market test for snack bars will be conducted in three ways: 1) In some councils, snack bars will be sold as a stand-alone product offering at a time when cookies are not being sold.  2) In other councils, snack bars will be offered along with Girl Scout Cookies.  3) A formal national research study will be conducted by the baker.

Participants in the pilot study include the following Girl Scout councils:

• Girl Scouts of Caribe Council (Fall cookies + bars)
• Girl Scouts of Chesapeake Bay Council (Spring cookies + bars)
• Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois Council (Spring cookies + bars)
• Girl Scouts of Oregon & Southwest Washington Council (Fall bars only)
• Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Council (Fall bars only)
• Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona Council (Fall bars only)
• Girl Scouts of West Central Florida Council (Fall bars only)
• Girl Scouts of Western Ohio Council (Spring cookies + bars)
• Girl Scouts of Western Washington Council (Fall bars only)

Little Brownie Bakers is one of two bakers licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA and has been baking Girl Scout Cookies since 1973. Little Brownie Bakers’ mission is to provide cookies and support services of the highest quality to Girl Scout councils to help teach girls a wide range of life skills and generate income for Girl Scout troops and councils via the annual Cookie Program. Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

Sources:

¹ The NPD Group’s National Eating Trends® In Home/Away From Home Service 2011
² Euromonitor – US Snack Bar Category, August 2011
³ SymphonyIRI Group - State of the Snack Industry – SNAXPO 2012