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Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Daily Times Is Clueless About Girl Scout Cookies


SALISBURY -- Sales are a little thin for mint and other Girl Scout cookies so far this year.

National numbers are not yet in, but regional Girl Scout councils nationwide are seeing the impact of the down economy, as well as bad winter weather, in declines as large as 19 percent in pre-order sales, which took place January through early February.

On the Delmarva Peninsula, troops have noticed about a 5 percent decrease from last year, said Denise Eberspeaker, fund development manager for the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay Council.

GO HERE to read more.

Our View: On January 27th we provided yet ANOTHER article on Girl Scout Cookies HERE. The reason their sales are down so much is you're paying more money for far less cookies in the box. You see, without the proper research they simply exposed a story about sales being down, yet they don't explain why! Get this Daily Times, "Sales will be even worse next year", once people bring home that box of cookies or have them delivered only to find out there's next to nothing there!

Now come on Daily Times, we're FEEDING you the stories, start telling the truth. Again, they should have a link saying Salisbury News exposed this story ALMOST A MONTH AGO and here's the link.

I'm not even going to go back to their Site today because everything I'm reading so far is news we produced long ago. They're not milking stories, they're milking Salisbury News.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Personally, I just look at buying the cookies as making a donation to the girls and their troop. If you are really looking for a bargain, go to the grocery store and buy the cookies that are on sale.

joe albero said...

Nice come back. However, IF you wanted to make a donation, why wait till the cookies come out? They'll take your money any time of the year. Look, you cannot deny that their cookies are very good and we all enjoy them. However, in today's economy, getting less for more money simply doesn't cut it. Their sales are down because of less cookies. NOW, if the Girl Scouts had used Salisbury News to market the arrival of these cookies and did a story about how this would HELP the Girl Scouts, that would be a whole different story and their sales at least on the Eastern Shore would have been way up. There have been plenty of photo opportunities to take pictures of these adoreable youg ladies in costume outside Wal-Mart and other locations for the Daily Times to market them but that too hasn't happened. Expect to see a photo of them real soon in the Daily Times though, you hear?

Anonymous said...

Wanna show some real "power" lets do the Salvation Army thing Joe...we can double their sales.

Tell us were they are going to be, and we can say "joe sent me.." see how much of an impression that makes."

The cookes are great, and it is their main fundraiser...

Anonymous said...

1:05 Your point is right on. The Salvation Army take donations 365 days out of the year, yet their big haul occurs during the Red Kettle period before Christmas. Why? Because the kettles remind people to give. You get absolutely no product when you drop your donation into the kettle. You do it because you can afford the donation and you want to support the charity. And so it goes with the Girl Scouts. I'm certain they'll take donations every day of the year, yet most people think about donating when they have a girl scout standing at their door, or tending a stand outside the grocery store. Economic times are tough and uncertain. It's one thing to stuff a dollar or two into the kettle, quite another to pony up $3.50 for a box of cookies or two.

As for The Times hijacking the story from this blog? Hardly. If you look at the byline you'll see the story printed in The Times was written by a reporter of USA Today, another paper owned by Gannett, the owner of The Times. Is Albero suggesting USA Today is monitoring his blog for stories? Craziness!

Anonymous said...

This brings back fond memories. I remember, back when it was safe, going door to door selling cookies. I started out as a Brownie, went up to the Girl Scouts and then became a Cadet! My Mom had to buy a second sash for me to add my badges on! Ok...am showing my age here...lol
Please show these young ladies your support and buy the cookies! It's not their fault that the economy has made them put fewer cookies in each box. It IS for a good cause!
Cindy

Anonymous said...

Gag. The last time the Daily Times did a story about Girl Scout cookies, the quoted Mike Dunn saying thin mints were his favorite and that he would cram several in his mouth at one time.

Just makes ya wanna run right out and get some, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

2:20 you are right on the mark, it just goes to show how clueless Joe is (sorry, joe, no offense, it's the truth) about how the news business actually operates on a day-to-day basis.

joe albero said...

anonymous 2:20 is correct, this is their biggest fundraiser and being in front of Wal-Mart is a big boost. HOWEVER, clearly it is not a big part of their sales. They are hoping it will be big this year because they have already seen slower sales in the pre-sales portion of their marketing.

As for the article coming from the parent company USA Today, you're also correct there. However, the Daily Times is NOT forced to use that article if they don't choose to. We posted this information weeks ago more for a local informational piece. The Daily Times has their new Office not fat at all from Wal-Mart and could have taken photos of these young girls in costume, (yes, I said costume instead of uniform) because they are wearing cookie costumes.

This simply proves the Daily Times has become very weak in local news and information, hence their never once going to two trials recently for the Bobby Jones case as well.

They ARE sitting back and watching what Salisbury News is doing and when they see something they like they go after it. You may not like to hear it but it's the truth. Everyone sees breaking news from SBYNews.com well before the Daily Times. I also happen to know they have someone monitoring Salisbury News all day and night. Look, if I were in their shoes I'd be doing the same thing because we are doing better than they are and there's no doubt about that. Remember, you were here to respond to this article too and there's a good chance you may just work there yourself, I don't know?

Support your local Girl Scouts. However, I know I wouldn't but the Peanut Butter Cookies right now, that's for sure.

Anonymous said...

Look at some of the Girl Scout ceos annual paychecks. What percentage actualy goes to the troops, shocking.

Anonymous said...

I'm satisfied. You concurred with points I made regarding your comments relative to the Girl Scout story. Then you twist and turn and muck things up by referring to the sheriff incident, for which there is a separate post just below the Girl Scout's. If you want to believe The Times ran the USA Today story because someone at The Times saw you refer to it on this blog, that's your prerogative. I personally don't think that's a reality. Newspapers across the country will use this story as a filler piece. Some printed it before you did - hey, did you go online and steal it from another paper? - and some will print in the coming weeks.

joe albero said...

anonymous 2:59. filler piece is exactly right. My point to that is, a photographer could have taken pictures right around the corner from their Office and they didn't. They could have made this about local Girl Scouts and again, they didn't. They are filling their paper with fluff all the time. Granted, it's certainly news worthy butu it was news worthy almost a month ago and we prove that with our own piece here on Salisbury News.

Anonymous said...

Joe, can we get fifty of your adult friends and put them all in Brownie uniforms outside Sam's Club, etc. to sell the cookies? Sales would skyrocket, the Girl Scouts' income would triple (like the Salvation Army's) and Salisbury would become yet again famous. And think of the PR! CBS Morning News would be the start. (And the Daily Times would print it three weeks later.)

Think it over, huh?

joe albero said...

All they have to do is ask. I'm NOT going to them buut if they come to me I will be more than happy to help them in any way I can.