New Territories for 28th Annual Christmas Cookies Campaign

Hi there

Please find attached and below a media release re the 28th Cookie Time Christmas Cookies campaign which kicks off today. I also attach a couple of images - the 2013 seller team, and a Christmas Cookies product shot. Please feel free to contact me for any further information.

Media release
5 November 2013

New Territories for 28th Annual Christmas Cookies Campaign

Cookie Time's 28th annual Christmas Cookies campaign kicks off today, with three new territories added to help sellers bring their geographic coverage a bit closer to Santa's.

Northland will be covered for the first time this year, and additional territories have been added in Auckland and Rotorua. Sellers will also have access to an expanded mentoring programme after a successful trial last year.

A record number of more than 630 applicants applied for a place on this year's team, with 76 university students selected for the seller roles. Each seller is allocated a geographic territory and operates as an independent business over the seven weeks of the campaign, helping to fund their studies while learning invaluable business management and operational skills.

Christmas Cookies are an iconic Kiwi festive treat, sold in distinctive red 600g buckets and available in three flavours - Chocolate Chip, Apricot Chocolate and Cranberry White Chocolate. A $50,000 donation from sales each year goes to the Cookie Time Charitable Trust which helps Kiwi kids discover their gifts. To date close to $1.5 million has been raised to fund Trust initiatives, including significant support for Dyslexia Foundation of New Zealand.

This year, the Christmas Cookies seller mentoring team has been expanded from two to seven, and mentors will be in daily contact with sellers to provide advice and support on all aspects of the campaign.

Christmas Cookies campaign manager Samantha Pollock says the campaign is much more than just another summer job.

“The Christmas Cookies campaign is all about keeping it real - from real ingredients in the product through to real community engagement through the Cookie Time Charitable Trust and through creating opportunities for sellers to grow their business skills,” she says.

“Cookie Time Limited (CTL) was built with entrepreneurial spirit and we see real value in nurturing this in a new generation of young New Zealanders. The Christmas Cookies role brings home the realities of running a business, combining intense sales demands with all the operational and administrative requirements of being your own boss.

“Whether sellers go on to become entrepreneurs in their own right, or simply bring these qualities to bear in working for others, the experience shapes leadership skills and gives a great grounding in everything from sales and marketing through to distribution, inventory, accounts and time management,” Pollock says.

This year's sellers have just completed an intensive Christmas Cookies 'Boot Camp' - a weekend-long training course with key CTL management to set them up for the campaign.

Cookie Time Christmas Cookies are on sale from today. Seller visits can be requested by calling 0800 XCOOKIE (0800 926654) or at www.cookietime.co.nz/xc_mustvisitlist_12.html Christmas Cookies are also available online at www.cookietime.co.nz

Also opening today is the Christmas Cookies annual Santa Call line, where 'Santa' calls your child to ask what they want for Christmas and emails back the wish list as a voice recording. Register for a call at www.santacall.co.nz. The service is free to New Zealand landlines.

ends

© Scoop Media