"Wow this cookie is so good that I want to name my first born after it." - Jennifer Joe
Today, I will be talking about chocolate sandwich cookies or you might know them as Oreos. My comparison today will focus on Oreos and the generic brand that can be found at your local Walmart.
First off, when you go into the snacks aisle, you will notice that the generic cookies are placed strategically right next to the Nabisco brand Oreos. Through this positioning, Walmart hopes that the tradeoff between brand and price will be enough to persuade buyers to buy their generic cookie. Nabisco Oreos cost $3.79 for a package while the generic Great Value brand costs $2.00. For someone like me, a young college student who doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on luxuries like name-brand Oreos, the generic brand appeals to me but for the sake of research, I will be purchasing both products.
First off, when you go into the snacks aisle, you will notice that the generic cookies are placed strategically right next to the Nabisco brand Oreos. Through this positioning, Walmart hopes that the tradeoff between brand and price will be enough to persuade buyers to buy their generic cookie. Nabisco Oreos cost $3.79 for a package while the generic Great Value brand costs $2.00. For someone like me, a young college student who doesn’t have a lot of money to spend on luxuries like name-brand Oreos, the generic brand appeals to me but for the sake of research, I will be purchasing both products.
The cookie itself is a delicious concoction mainly made up of sugar. When I compare the ingredients lists, not much differs as they both have the same main ingredients. Out of their respective packages, both of these cookies look virtually identical. As far as packaging goes, Oreo does a better job with their bright blue package compared to Great Value’s white packaging that fails to catch the eye.
Now for the taste test, I did a blind taste test so that I didn’t know which cookies I was actually eating. The texture, consistency, and taste of these cookies were virtually identical. The filling of the generic brand was a bit grainier compared to Oreo but 15 cookies later, all I could distinguish was the fact that I had a terrible stomach ache.
Now for the taste test, I did a blind taste test so that I didn’t know which cookies I was actually eating. The texture, consistency, and taste of these cookies were virtually identical. The filling of the generic brand was a bit grainier compared to Oreo but 15 cookies later, all I could distinguish was the fact that I had a terrible stomach ache.
Promotion is where these two products differ greatly. Oreo is known for having a great marketing campaign which is geared toward children by promoting an image of fun but as they start to get more involved with social media; their marketing is starting to have an effect on teenagers with their witty pictures. They promote new creme colors and different shapes of Oreos in order to generate new interest amongst children. They are most famous for their Super Bowl 47 blackout tweet that was posted after the blackout. This ad immediately became viral and people still bring it up from time to time as an example of how successful social media can be as a marketing tool.
Great Value brand cookies on the other hand, have little to no advertising. You might see them in their weekly ad but that is about it. The only time a consumer really thinks about them is when they are in the snack aisle. Oreos don’t really have brand loyal consumers so it is easy for generic brands to draw in frugal consumers which are why their target market is geared more toward parents than children. The primary benefit of purchasing generic brands instead of name brands is saving money. The packaging may not be as colorful as a name brand product, but most people do not mind this difference when it means saving a few dollars.
Great Value brand cookies on the other hand, have little to no advertising. You might see them in their weekly ad but that is about it. The only time a consumer really thinks about them is when they are in the snack aisle. Oreos don’t really have brand loyal consumers so it is easy for generic brands to draw in frugal consumers which are why their target market is geared more toward parents than children. The primary benefit of purchasing generic brands instead of name brands is saving money. The packaging may not be as colorful as a name brand product, but most people do not mind this difference when it means saving a few dollars.
So what is my verdict when it comes to GenY? I believe that Oreos will absolutely dominate this segment. Oreos are extremely popular already with this generation. And to the joy of the health-crazed GenY, Oreos (I am not kidding about this) are a vegan product! Usually vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores don’t agree on anything but for once, they can all agree on a product like Oreos. This generation grew up watching commercials that reinforce this positive heartwarming experience of dunking Oreos in milk with their parents. They tend to go for more of the experience rather than the actual product and Oreo has done a great job with their marketing to attach this feeling of childhood innocence and joy with their product.
If you are interested in conducting your own taste test, you can currently purchase Oreos or generic brand chocolate sandwich cookies at any grocery store or chain in the U.S.
If you are interested in conducting your own taste test, you can currently purchase Oreos or generic brand chocolate sandwich cookies at any grocery store or chain in the U.S.