Dive Brief:

• Oreo unveiled three new, limited-time flavors — Cherry Cola, Kettle Corn and Piña Colada — that will be available in stores nationwide, per a news release. The offerings are finalists selected from the brand's latest #MyOreoCreation contest, where fans submit their ideas for new cookie varieties.  
• Through June 30, People can vote for their favorite flavor among the three once per day using the #MyOreoCreation hashtag on social media. Those who vote will be entered to win one of thousands of prizes. The winning flavor will be announced in July and its creator will receive $500,000. 
• #MyOreoCreation brought in hundreds of thousands of entries this year, the Mondelez brand said. Oreo reviewed the submissions and created prototypes of some of the entries, which were sent to some of the fans who submitted ideas. Flavors that didn't make the finals include Coffee & Donuts, Avocado and Unicorn. 

Dive Insight:

Oreo is essentially running the same promotion it did last year with #MyOreoCreation, signaling that these types of crowd-sourced efforts where fans can vote for new flavors are a winning strategy for packaged foods brands. Last year, a "firework" Oreo cookie that tasted like Pop Rocks candy won the grand prize, but this year's three finalists feel a little quirkier with Cherry Cola, Kettle Corn and Piña Colada. Consumers are expressing a growing interest in these types of exotic and bold flavors, particularly millennials. 

Marketers wanting to reach younger snackers should consider how to incorporate two-way conversations into their marketing. Consumers appreciate opportunities to interact with brands in this way because it makes them feel like their voice is being heard. Traditional packaged foods companies continue to leverage social media and limited-time products to meet this demand and lure the next generation of consumers. Unlike many of its competitors, Oreo has an advantage: Gen Z thinks the brand is cool, citing a variety of fun flavors and "cute/funny marketing," according to a report by Google. 

Oreo parent company Mondelez recently ran a similar campaign around the 2018 Winter Olympics for products including Oreo, Ritz and Chips Ahoy!, with a #CantMissMoments that encouraged consumers to share photos of themselves biting into their favorite snack in the same way Olympians bite into medals during award ceremonies.