Published: October 16, 2009 06:55 pm      

DECA student sticks with Stride gum

EDMOND — Edmond Memorial student Jessie Gerken entered a contest to rename Stride’s Nonstop Mint gum as part of a Distributive Education Clubs of America class project, and with the encouragement of her teacher, she entered and won.

It wasn’t the $10,000 cash prize and a year’s supply of gum that she hoped to win, but the money aside, just winning something was excitement enough for this Memorial junior.

“I can’t believe I won,” Gerken said. “It is so exciting to actually be named a winner.”

Not satisfied with its Nonstop Mint name, the Stride marketing team launched a campaign to rename the gum.

In a letter Gerken received from Stride, she was told she submitted the same or similar name as the (10) finalist’s names, and they sent her a custom package of Stride mint gum featuring the flavor name she submitted, Everlasting Mint.

The letter said in part, “Because you took the time to participate, and submitted the same name or similar name as the finalist’s names, we would like to thank you by sending you a custom pack of Stride Nonstop Mint, featuring the flavor name you submitted (Everlasting Mint). We really appreciate you sticking with us. Enjoy the gum.”

She said winning the custom package of gum with the name she suggested has encouraged her to enter other contests.

“My cousin, Jordan Stivers was in DECA and he told me I should take it,” Gerken said. “He said I would learn a lot and have a lot of fun.”

DECA, the Distributive Education Clubs of America, is an international association of high school and college students who study markting, management and entrepreneurship in business and marketing sales and service.

DECA students also are active in the community and recently they were raising money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure fund.

“We have sold more than 2,100 pink paper links for 25 cents each,” said Kim Walters, club sponsor and teacher, “and we have taken each link and made a giant pink paper chain.”

This weekend the students will go to the state DECA conference and measure their chain against chains from the other DECA organizations throughout the state.

Although Gerken’s plans are to attend Oklahoma State University and pursue a nursing degree, she said DECA has helped her pay closer attention to how people market and sell products.

And as far as Stride’s marketing techniques, they seem to be working.

“I have their gum in my mouth right now,” Gerken said.

As for her custom package of gum with her chosen name, Everlasting Mint, on each package, she is thinking about framing it with her letter and letting her teacher put it on the classroom wall until she graduates.

“I’m sure not going to chew it,” Gerken said.

Cadbury Adams, the maker of Stride gum, marketed as “The Ridiculously Long Lasting Gum,” has been in the gum business for more than 100 years.

For those old enough to remember Clove, Black Jack and Beeman’s Gum, all brought back in 1985 as part of a nostalgia campaign, the nine new Stride gum flavors are the most recent additions to the company’s gum line.