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The Story You Probably Didn’t Know About Oreo Cookies
Oreo cookies have been around for a long time
75% of Americans have a positive opinion of Oreo cookies.
Although there is an abundance of different types and flavors to choose from, the classic is still the most famous. In the survey, 59% of people said that classic Oreos are their favorite. However, few people know the background story behind the most famous cookies in the world.
So, let me tell you Oreo’s story.
A long time ago, two brothers disliked each other.
In 1890, a rivalry between two brothers created one of the most addictive cookies in history.
Jacob and Joseph Loose ran two competing bakeries in Kansas City, Missouri. Jacob invented the Hydrox cookie. It was a chocolate cookie with vanilla creme filling. Joseph copied his brother and created Oreo, but he struggled to build a successful company.
The Hydrox was one of the best cookies in the country. Customers loved it. It was branded as “The original and the best cookie in the world.” Oreo was branded as a “Cheap and generic cookie.”
For years, Hydrox dominated the market. Initially, their name was the reason for its success. Hydrox sounded clean and scientific—a mixture of Hydrogen and Oxygen. Until 1950, when the brand Hydrox began to sound like many cleaning supplies. Unfortunately, hydrox could not rebrand itself fast enough, and the management made a few mistakes.
Oreo management used this opportunity to relaunch their company and made two big strategic choices that made Oreo the most popular cookie in the world.
- The first was increasing their prices, so it seemed like a more premium cookie,
- The second was to license it for other products such as ice cream.
Oreo won the cookie war by making smart strategic choices and not making a better product. Their strategies were genius.
What can you learn from Oreos cookies?
The product that you have now is great. Start marketing it. Start using smart strategies to reach your customers.
What can you do to distinguish your products? How can you position your products better without saying better?
Do not be afraid to raise your prices and do not be afraid to partner with other companies to build something amazing. Think, do and measure. Let’s create something and share it with the world.
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