An Oreo Is an Oreo Is an Oreo Is an Oreo.

Ok, I’m channeling a little Gertrude Stein here, but after hearing a recent report on NPR about the iconic Oreo cookie, I too had to ask, “If an Oreo isn't round and black and white and crazy sweet, is it still an Oreo? What is the essence of Oreoness?”

Who cares? You might ask. But the NPR report was a study in how an American icon asked, “What’s wrong?” and succeeded by doing so. Not only did they ask — they listened. And then they acted on what they heard. And then they started asking more questions. And they responded again.

So the question is — if an American icon such as the Oreo cookie can ask customers what they don’t like and then change its very “Oreoness” to better suit a growing global audience, shouldn’t you? I’m not suggesting you change your entire brand or every aspect of your product line. But I am suggesting you throw out the question “What’s the problem with...” And that you listen. And act accordingly.

Take the Oreo. When it was launched in China in 1996 it did ok. But not well enough for Kraft to keep it on the shelves. So when they asked Chinese consumers what they didn’t like, they learned that the cookie was too bitter and too sweet. Now Americans who’ve grown up with the cookie might gasp at that assessment — after all, we expect an Oreo to taste like an Oreo. But the Chinese had no such cultural conceptions of the Oreo. And so the Oreo was modified for the Chinese market.  

But it gets even better because Kraft started asking more questions. And then, it would appear, they started having a little fun with the changes. They scratched the “has to be white filling” idea and launched Oreos with green tea filling, as well as mango and orange. They even dumped the round shape for straw-shaped and rectangular Oreos.

And then Kraft looked at the Oreo “experience.” The “Twist, Lick, Dunk” experience. Bets were on that the Chinese would never indulge in that habit. But they were wrong. A series of ads with adorable kids showing parents how to Twist, Lick, Dunk hit home with the Chinese audience and sales doubled over and over and over again.

What’s the best-selling cookie in China today? The Oreo. And what kind of Oreo will you find in Canada and Australia? Hint: it’s not the one at your local grocery store.

If you want to capture a new audience, don’t assume they’re going to like the same things you’ve been serving up to your current audience. You have to understand your varied audiences and their preferences. 

Now go enjoy the Oreo experience.