Posted by Michael Keller under CBO Corner on September 17th, 2009
Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares his thoughts and unique insight regarding marketing to both consumers and the DQ® franchise owners.
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Posted by Michael Keller under CBO Corner on August 20th, 2009
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.
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Posted by Michael Keller under CBO Corner on July 28th, 2009
Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares his thoughts and unique insight regarding Miracle Treat Day on August 13th and Children’s Miracle Network.
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Posted by PR Wonk under A Smile and a Story® on July 22nd, 2009
Growing up in a small, rural farming community on the southwest Minnesota prairie (not all that far from the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder), the summers were short and hot and the winters were long and cold. As kids, we were usually bored out of our minds and there never seemed like there was anything exciting to do. However, I still look back upon my childhood and yearn for those days when life was much simpler. I consider myself lucky because a good share of my adolescence was spent with friends, usually hanging out at our local Dairy Queen® store, which was the hub of activity for young and old alike in our little town. I specifically remember the sweet, delicious smells that hit you as soon as you opened the door. I remember eating a soft serve cone dipped in chocolate or with cone crunch sprinkled on it. I also fondly remember getting a DQ® Jet, which was either vanilla or chocolate soft serve frozen in a paper tube and you could push it up from the bottom as you ate it. Frozen Mr. Misty® push-ups were also a favorite of mine and my friends on a summer afternoon. So tell me, if you could travel back in your proverbial time machine, what DQ product would you bring back with you to enjoy once again?
Posted by Lisa Y under A Smile and a Story® on July 15th, 2009
When I was a little girl, trips to the local DQ® walk-up store were a given. My sisters, eight and nine years older than I, were often “encouraged” to walk me up to the store for treats to get all of us out of my Mom’s hair for awhile. One day when I was about 10, my younger cousin was visiting so she too was included in a Saturday afternoon walk to the DQ® store.
My sisters were only given enough money for one treat per person, and luckily, we had enough for my cousin and her much bigger eyes than stomach. Even though she was only 5, she insisted she could eat a Strawberry Shortcake Treat. There was no way she could put much of a dent into this monstrous treat at her age, but my sisters let her attempt it.
Of course she was also at the age where she didn’t need any help carrying it. Not so surprisingly, as soon as we started the trek across the parking lot toward home, she leaned the Strawberry Shortcake too far in one direction and it toppled out of the dish and onto the parking lot. My sisters and I looked at each other in sheer horror and waited. We didn’t have enough money for another treat and we really didn’t want to give up one of ours, yet we knew the temper tantrum would start shortly.
After a couple of seconds, we watched, in horror again but this time also with relief, as my young cousin simply stooped down to the parking lot and slid her mangled treat back into the dish, brushed off some gravel with her spoon, and contentedly started to eat. We thought about stopping her, but then also realized that if she was fine with it, maybe we should just keep our mouths shut. Instead, we quietly ate out treats and didn’t say another word the whole walk home.
Do you have a funny DQ® memory?
Posted by Lisa Y under In the Community on July 2nd, 2009
I have been a fan of the DQ® system for decades, and grew up with a small walk-up store near my childhood Minneapolis home. During my lifetime so far, I’ve watched the brand evolve yet keep its nostalgic feel. It is a significant part of not only my history, but also the memories of many, many others. A DQ® restaurant operator in Franklin, Pa., has taken this history idea to a whole new level—there is a six-ton, genuine NASA space capsule right in the front yard of the restaurant. It seems NASA had a number of capsule “shells” constructed after an abortive 1961 Mercury mission. The ill-fated capsule’s hatch blew, leaving the craft to sink into the Atlantic Ocean before crews could retrieve it, although that spacecraft was recently recovered. After that, NASA used the extra capsules in training; they’d parachute them into the ocean so Navy frogmen could practice retrieving them. This particular space capsule came to be in front of the DQ® restaurant because the operator purchased it after he heard of it sitting at a U.S. government junkyard nearby. What unique or interesting items have you seen displayed in front of DQ® locations?
Posted by admin under A Smile and a Story® on June 30th, 2009
A few months ago, I made a sort of strange bargain with myself – something I don’t normally do. I told myself that if I could drop 20 pounds by running and training for a half-marathon, I could have any Blizzard® Treat I wanted after my race. Now, I’ll admit, that’s a bit of a strange bargain to make on a few fronts. First, I work at the DQ® corporate headquarters, and could indulge in any food item or treat my heart desired. Secondly, why work so hard to achieve a goal like that only to have the pleasure of imbibing in a few hundred calories?
The answer is simple…I love Blizzard Treats. And if that what it takes to get one, count me in! I’m at the age now where a the pounds don’t come off as easy as they once did. Hence, the bargain—I’m a sucker for a challenge.
Although it has come with a lot of early mornings and sweat equity, I’m happy to report that this past weekend I met my goal. I completed the race, my clothes are fitting better and I rewarded myself with a Brownie Batter Blizzard Treat. And I can say, it was worth every mile!
What about you? Tell us what you’ve done or the kind of bargain you’ve struck for your favorite DQ treat.
Posted by Michael Keller under CBO Corner on June 25th, 2009
Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares a story about his frequent stops at a neighborhood take-out restaurant, and having them put tape on the lid of his morning orange juice cup. Michael also discusses our newest summer promotion with the Girl Scouts!
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Posted by Lisa Y under In the Community on May 19th, 2009
As Memorial Day gets closer, I started thinking about how some see it as a three-day weekend that marks the beginning of summer, while others, especially the nation’s thousands of combat veterans, see it as an important reminder of those who died in the service of their country. One of my good friends has a son in his early 20s who is currently in his second round of service in Iraq. It got me to thinking about the sacrifices our military personnel make for our country and how I appreciate when they receive even small privileges as a result of those sacrifices.
I recently read a letter sent to the Dairy Queen® corporate headquarters from a customer who, while ordering at a DQ® drive-thru, saw a group of uniformed military personnel enter the restaurant. When she reached the pick-up window, she asked the employee to use her credit card to pay for the service members’ orders as well. The employee did as she requested and explained as she returned the customers’ credit card that the charges would be less than she anticipated because uniformed military personnel enjoy a half-price discount at that DQ location. The customer went on to say she thought this was a great policy.
What do you think of this policy? What other examples of discounts to service members have you come across?
Posted by Michael Keller under CBO Corner on May 12th, 2009
Michael Keller, Chief Brand Officer, shares his insights about the Dairy Queen ® brand in the digital space and explores why people are listening and engaged. Tell us why are you listening?
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