Girl Scouts have been selling cookies since 1917. The program that started when a troop was looking for a way to raise some money has become one of the best-known annual fundraisers in the country. In recent years, more than 200 million boxes of cookies are sold nationwide each year as part of the cookie-selling campaign. Selling cookies gives Girl Scouts an opportunity to develop skills in money management, marketing, goal setting and business ethics while raising hundreds of millions for scouting programs.
COVID-19 pandemic protocols prevented Girl Scouts from using several traditional ways of selling cookies. That made online marketing more important than ever. The Girl Scouts of Hawai‘i responded by inviting island members to present their best sales proposals, or “pitches,” in online-ready video clips for the Perfect Pitch Challenge. The pitches included skits, songs and public-service announcements about the programs that cookie sales support.
Earning top honors with their video pitches were 5-year-old Daisy Scout Kiva Langan, a Kamehameha Schools kindergartner from Troop 1 who is in her first year of scouting, and Senior Scout Mae O’Neil, a 15-year-old Leilehua High School freshman from Troop 66, who joined the Girl Scouts when she was a first grader.
Kiva recorded an original music video with technical support from her mother, Cathryn Langan. Mae wrote and produced a documentary-style PSA showing activities that the cookie sales make possible.
Congratulations to you both on your Perfect Pitch videos. What was it about the challenge that drew you in?
Mae: I want to go into business and marketing, and I thought it was a great opportunity to work on my marketing skills, promote Girl Scouts and cookie sales. Especially with COVID online cookie sales, I thought it was a great opportunity.
Kiva, was this your first video?
Kiva: Yes.
How was the experience of recording your first music video?
Kiva: I liked it, but I had to do it a little bit of times ‘cause I made some mistakes.
Do you want to do a regular music video next time or another video for Girl Scouts?
Kiva: Another video for the Girl Scouts.
How did cookie sales go?
Mae: I was able to reach my personal record for this year, which I was really excited about.
Kiva: I reached my goal too.
Kiva now has a music video credit and is ready to do another video for the Girl Scouts. Mae, what’s next for you?
Mae: I’m going to be doing more videos. I just recently finished (earning) my (Girl Scout) Silver Award and I did a lot of videos about the conservation of Hawaiian flowers for that. I’m going to launch my Gold Award this summer and I plan on making videos relating to my Gold Award with the veterans. My dad is in the military, so it’s something that’s super important to me.
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For more information on the Girls Scouts of Hawai‘i, call 595-8400 or visit gshawaii.org.
Check out Kiva’s video at 808ne.ws/Kiva and Mae’s video at 808ne.ws/Mae.
