Girl Scout Cookies

Probably not the best idea to write a blog post under the influence of cold medicine for a nasty head cold.  Maybe I will have added creativity. Here goes.

OK, my oldest daughter is a Junior now and my wife just came off duty of being the cookie mom for the recent drive. Now, I am a big fan of the cookies themselves.  A couple of Samoas, a few Thin Mints and a Peanut Butter Pattie, not a bad meal.  So the cookies are just fine and the Girls Scouts are celebrating 100 years of service this year.  And guess what, they still run the cookie drive like 100 year ago.  Set up at a location, pencil and paper order form and hope and pray that people are in a good mood when they walk by.

Can we move the Girl Scout Cookie drive into the 21st century. This is the main fund raiser for each troop.   The national organization could do a better job to help give back to the troops.  I hate to say it, but the Girl Scouts use some practices that make Apple look good.  Who else can get child labor to work for free to fill up their coffers.  Yes, valuable lessons are learned, but like college football, it all comes down to money. So, here are my thoughts on improving the Girl Scout Cookie Drive:

1. Let cookies be ordered year round. I am sure me and many others could binge year round.
2. Keep track (electronically) of who ordered last year.  Your best customer is one who is already with you.  Send them an electronic reminder and order form.
3. Use some technology - how about micro sites for each troop with an e-commerce engine to order.  What relative could resist a little welcome video from the troop.
4. Definitely need an app - not just to find but to order...HTML5 and native too please.
5. Ship direct from the manufacturer to the cookie buyer - this would stop me from filling luggage with cookies on return trips home.
6. Survey, measure and adjust- you may find out that after 8 weeks in the same grocery store that sentiment for the Girl Scouts has gone from positive to negative.
7. Hey, on a $4 sale, can you give a little more than a 10% commission to the troop. Oh, yeah, there is a quota too.

I am happy to keep doing my part of eating the cookies. Can some of my tech friends jump in and move the Girl Scouts from 1912 to 2012 on the cookie drive.  Anyone with a daughter in the Girl Scouts, would love to hear your opinion.