Blog: General Mills trials new way of buying Haagen-Dazs

Dean Best | 11 September 2018

On Friday (7 September), ice-cream lovers in part of central London were able to order Häagen-Dazs on their phones - and have it delivered directly to them, wherever they were.

The trial allowed consumers to order Häagen-Dazs while they were out and about. Through a chatbot conversation on Facebook Messenger, consumers in Russell Square were able to place the order, with web-based geolocation APIs pinpointing their exact location through the mobile browser. The technology also allowed General Mills to know the exact delivery location, even if the consumer was not standing still, while the shopper could see how far away their ice cream was.

Samuel Horner, senior brand manager for Häagen-Dazs in the UK, said the trial tapped into "the growing trend for geo-targeted services".

He added: "We’re testing it to inform future consumer engagement plans, each of which aim to make every day extraordinary for our consumers. Who wouldn’t want a delicious Häagen-Dazs ice cream delivered to their exact spot at a summer event?"

Geo-targeting is another fledgling way of selling directly to consumers that consumer goods manufacturing are investigating and it's clear General Mills is at least exploring the technology's potential.

General Mills declined to comment on how many people took part or used the trial service on Friday, saying: "As the Häagen-Dazs Now service is being trialled it’s designed to inform our future consumer engagement plans. It’s too early for us to comment further." The company was also coy on when and where the next trial could be.

One to watch, although services like this will depend on the strength of the Häagen-Dazs brand; there are enough stores out there to cater for a hankering for an ice cream.