Summer can be hectic and when it comes to stress management, the majority of parents only give themselves a “C,” according to a recent Dairy Queen brand survey of stressed out parents. On the longest day of the year, the DQ brand created new Blizzard Treat flavors to serve as a much-needed break for overwhelmed families.
“In today’s fast-paced world, the Dairy Queen system serves as a summer destination for families and loyal Fans across America,” says Barry Westrum, executive vice president of Marketing for American Dairy Queen Corporation (ADQ). “Summertime can mean added stress for parents. The local DQ store is the perfect place to slow down for the family, with a treat for the kids and a retreat for the parents.”
To find out where parents most in need of a Blizzard Treat break live, the DQ brand used an unconventional methodology, social listening. Searching key words from social posts by parents, the DQ brand discovered parents in Provo, Utah were the most stressed—thus could benefit from a break with a DQ Blizzard Treat. Additional cities included:
- Orlando, Florida
- Miami
- Los Angeles
- Philadelphia
- Seattle
- Las Vegas
- Minneapolis
National Survey Highlights Include:
- Seventy percent of parents say they prefer a sweet treat when they are stressed out
- Parents feel that more than half of every day belongs to someone else
- Dads are slightly more stressed than Moms
- When it comes to parents hiding to get a break:
- Moms hide in the bedroom or bathroom
- Dads hide slightly more than Moms and in the garage or car
- Thirty-seven percent of parents hide in the closet
Parents and their families can take their first break this summer with the two new Blizzard Treats—Frosted Fudge Brownie Blizzard Treat and Salted Caramel Blondie Blizzard Treat. The new Blizzard Treats make the simple, extraordinary because they deliver beloved baked goods—rich, chewy, chocolaty brownies and light, soft brown sugar blondies—into modern masterpieces. The baked goods are blended with DQ creamy vanilla soft serve and inspired ingredients, such as frosted fudge, caramel and, salty, crunchy praline pieces. The Blizzard Treats are made to order and offered in four sizes, including the popular Mini.
The Frosted Fudge Brownie and Salted Caramel Blondie Blizzard Treats are available for a limited time at participating Dairy Queen and DQ Grill & Chill restaurants beginning June 26.
More than 30 years ago, the Dairy Queen system began blending simple combinations of cookies, chocolates, nuts, fruits and candies with DQ soft serve to create the signature Blizzard Treat that is so thick it’s served upside down. The iconic treat has created an upside-down Blizzard culture and since then, one-of-a-kind flavors such as Salted Caramel Truffle and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Smash have delighted millions of DQ Fans.
The online survey was conducted using Toluna’s online panel and QuickSurveys methodology in the USA between June 12th and June 15th, 2017 among n=1,024 adults (ages 18 and over). Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Toluna surveys. Figures for age, sex and region income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the census population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in Toluna surveys, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
