Posted by : The Web Master

What exactly is the “Taste of DQ®”?

Well, every year we share our marketing and operations plans with 500-600 of our leading Dairy Queen® system store operators at our annual Leadership Summit. The highlight of every Leadership Summit is “Taste of DQ,” where the group gets to preview and taste the next year’s new products, like new Blizzard flavors, new food items and beverages.

Here’s some quick highlights of this summer’s event:
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Posted by : Michael Keller

Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares his thoughts and unique insight regarding marketing to both consumers and the DQ® franchise owners.

CBO Corner Audio Blog:

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Posted by : JT

When I was a kid, our neighborhood DQ store didn’t hand out cone whistles, but based on the comments and photos we received after our memorabilia post, they were a popular item with many young DQ fans over the years.  Chris Del Plato from Long Valley, NJ, still has one:

And here is another version, submitted by Joshuah Cornell of Indianapolis, IN:

DQ® store owner Herman Reschke, from Geneseo, IL, shared his impressive collection of vintage packaging:

John Longoria of Corpus Christi, TX, tells us that he is still in touch with the girls in this photo: 

We wonder how long it took Trevor Klein of Eik River, MN, to eat the sundaes that came in his collection of miniature baseball helmets:

And our own Web Master has this hanging in his garage at home:

He will not be receiving a $5 gift card, but everyone else will.  Thanks to you all for sharing your photos!

Posted by : Lisa C

Many Dairy Queen® operators give back to the community through donations of gift certificates, cakes, food and treats. Others agree to pick a certain day, and for two or three hours donate a percentage of sales to an organization. One operator from Kentucky has begun to do the latter, and is quite happy with the results.

He says this idea has generated more revenue, increased the customer base and given the local organization a tangible donation. His most recent fundraising events were for a local food pantry and a church. He holds the fundraisers on a Monday or Tuesday evening, requires that the head of the organization be present and that members of the organization deliver the food to the tables.

It is the participation from the organization that makes the most difference, and friends and family want to come into the restaurant to see people they know working, and to help donate to the organization via purchasing great DQ® food and treats. Everyone wins.

Posted by : The Web Master

OK, so we all have our #1 all-time favorite Blizzard flavor – our “go to” flavor that never fails to make everything right in the world!  Well, imagine my excitement when I heard that the September Blizzard of the Month is literally combining the #1 all-time favorite Blizzard (the OREO Blizzard) with my #1 all-time favorite Blizzard (the Cookie Dough Blizzard)!!?? 

Yep, it’s true. For just the month of September, we have a new Blizzard treat flavor which combines two world-wide favorite Blizzard flavors – the OREO® Blizzard and the Cookie Dough Blizzard into one totally awesome Blizzard called the OREO Cookie Jar Blizzard!

And since this is truly a “two-of-a-kind” Blizzard flavor, we just had to do something special to celebrate all the goodness blended into one Blizzard cup.  For the first time ever, we have literally brought to life the special ingredients found in the OREO Cookie Jar Blizzard!  Visit blizzardfanclub.com and meet “The Goodies” – the adorable 3-D animated characters of the OREO cookie pieces, Cookie Dough, Fudge, and DQ’s iconic Soft Serve found in the OREO Cookie Jar Blizzard.  You can interact with these adorable characters by having them send sweet messages to your friends and family through customized e-cards.  Go ahead and share the “Goodyness” with everyone!

And finally, to make this month even “Goody-er” – we have a special offer to customers who join the Blizzard Fan Club in September. Anyone who joins the Blizzard Fan Club from September 1 – September 30 will not only receive the Blizzard Fan Club Welcome “buy-one-get-one-free” coupon, but will also receive a $1 off coupon for the OREO Cookie Jar Blizzard.  Current fan club members will receive the $1 off coupon in their Sept. 1st Blizzard Fan Club email blast. 

Go ahead and share the “Goodyness” with everyone!

Posted by : The Web Master

As many of you who have been reading our blog probably know, the focus of the blog is about sharing a smile and a story. You wouldn’t believe it, but every time I tell someone that I work for American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ) they always want to tell me about when they were a kid and  their mom or dad would take them every Saturday to their local DQ locaiton for a treat. I know we have shared stories about people from outside of DQ corporate headquarters, but today I want to share my smile and story.

When I was a child there was a DQ store that was two or three blocks from my house, and I would save money so I could walk to it during the day and get a Peanut Buster® Parfait (that was my favorite – until the Cookie Dough Blizzard® Treat came out). About a year and half ago, we were in my hometown and drove past that DQ store, and I was so giddy to see that it was still open. My kids didn’t understand what I was so excited about, so I decided to stop so they could experience what it was like for their dad.  After we enjoyed our treats I walked back to the car with the kids and my son looked at me and said, “Our DQ is better.” The funniest thing is that after we got back in the car, my wife said that I had this look on my face as if someone had just offended me in the worst way. 

It took me a couple of days to really understand what he was talking about, but what he meant was that his memories, his smiles his story, are linked to a different Dairy Queen store. Every Wednesday, my wife and I take the kids over to the DQ store that is about 50 feet from the studio where my kids take dance and gymnastics classes. So that first Wednesday after the “incident,” we started walking over to the DQ after dance class, and the kids were jumping around because they know exactly what that means – it’s time for a chocolate Dilly® Bar, chocolate mint Dilly Bar and a StarKiss® Bar. After we finished our treats, my son looked at me and said, “See dad? I told you this was better.” At which I couldn’t stop laughing!

Without getting too sentimental about the whole situation, I think what he meant is that this is his “Smile and a Story.” The best part of this tradition is that it’s a walk-up DQ store.  DQ is headquartered in Minnesota, which means that we are even walking over to the DQ store on Wednesdays when it’s well below freezing outside.  According to my children, there’s always room for DQ treats, and it’s never too cold. When I’m not able to make it to dance and share a treat with the kids, my week just doesn’t feel the same.

Do you have a DQ tradition that you must do after a baseball game, dance class, band concert or other event?

Posted by : JT

Dairy Queen® treats have been around for a long time. And in the decades since 1938, when J.F. “Grandpa” McCullough and his son, Alex, first invented the “Cone With The Curl On Top,” a lot of plastic spoons, paper cups, uniforms, T-shirts, collectibles, promotional items and, well… stuff… featuring our trademark ellipse logo have come and gone.

Around the home office there is no shortage of DQ® memorabilia.  For instance, in the mailroom, you’ll find vintage signage:

In various offices, cubicles and meeting rooms, you’ll come across old product packaging:

Promotional items from days gone by:

Toys:

And more…

So, we’re wondering. What old-school, unique, or just plain wacky DQ items do you have around the house? Take a photo and e-mail it to blog@idq.com by Aug. 31.  Our ten favorite photo submissions will be featured right here on this blog, and each winner will receive a $5 gift card.

And if, while you’re poking around in your basement or the dusty back corner of that closet you haven’t cleaned out in a while, you should happen across one of these:

You might be interested to know it’s worth $104.50.

Posted by : Michael Keller

Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares his thoughts and unique insight regarding his trip to Madison, South Dakota, for Miracle Treat Day on Aug. 13.

CBO Corner Audio Blog:

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Posted by : The Web Master

We want to thank everyone who stopped at a Dairy Queen® location on Aug. 13 to purchase a Blizzard® Treat in support of Miracle Treat Day. This year was very different in that, for the first time, we used the social Web to help spread the word about Miracle Treat Day. So thank you to everyone who tweeted on Twitter or shared information regarding Miracle Treat Day on their blog or became fans of Dairy Queen on Facebook.

I had the opportunity to join John Gainor, the president and CEO of International Dairy Queen Corporation, on a trip to Dayton, Ohio, on Miracle Treat Day. We visited The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton and three Dairy Queen locations in the Dayton area. Here are some highlights from my trip with John Gainor on Miracle Treat Day:
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Posted by : The Web Master

Thursday,  Aug. 13, 2009 is Miracle Treat Day, and if you haven’t read any of our other posts regarding Miracle Treat Day, or haven’t been motivated to head out to a particpating Dairy Queen®  location yet, here’s a little more information for your regarding this amazing day.

Since 1984, the DQ® system has raised over $77 million to help make miracles happen for children at Children’s Miracle Network hospitals throughout North America. On Miracle Treat Day 2008, DQ raised $5.7 million for Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, and we hope to raise as much, if not more, this summer. 

Buy a Blizzard® Treat at a participating DQ® location tomorrow and $1 or more per Blizzard will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network hospital in your area.  The funds raised stay local, so you’ll be helping to save and improve the lives of children in your community!

Remember to buy a Blizzard Treat on Aug. 13 and SAVE A LIFE!

Find a participating location.

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Other Miracle Treat Day Posts:

Help make miracles for our littlest heroes!

Famous faces are raising awareness about Miracle Treat Day

CBO Corner – Thoughts for July – An Amazing Day For An Amazing Cause

The “Occupational Hazard” of Having “Miracle Treat Day” in Your Job Description