ZANZIBAR.

Years ago Dunkin' Donuts held a contest to 'Create Dunkin's next donut.' Customers were asked to enter their best idea for the next seasonal donut that the chain would produce and then sell at their stores all over the country. Customers eagerly filled out form after form full of their great flavor concoctions in the hopes of seeing their donut appear at their local shop, assuming that their entry mattered and was truly in the running for the grand prize. The strange thing was that in the 2 years that the contest was held both of the winners chosen by the Dunkin' Donuts company prominently featured Hershey's products in their recipes. ( 2008's Heath bar topped 'Toffee for your coffee' and 2009's Reese's peanut butter cup topped 'Monkey see monkey donut') Dunkin' Brands Inc was engaged in a promotional contract with the Hershey's Company to feature and promote Hershey's brand products in both their Baskin Robbin's ice cream and Dunkin' Donuts locations. Meaning that no matter what, the winner of the contest was guaranteed to be a Hershey's candy branded donut. So what? Should this matter? No. It's a contest about donuts. However, it begs the questions: 'Well, if you had already decided who was going to win..... then what was the point in having a contest in the first place? Why get the hopes of your fans/customers up to think that there was some sort of competition when no matter how strong or weak the entry, the winner had already been determined?' Congratulations to all the Earwolf challenge podcasts for their hard work and holding their ground week in and week out. And to the winner, make sure you take a lesson from the short lived 'Toffee for your coffee' and 'Monkey see monkey donut' because no matter how sugary sweet the use of recognized brands can seem, no one enjoys the taste of predetermination for long.

Years ago Dunkin' Donuts held a contest to 'Create Dunkin's next donut.' Customers were asked to enter their best idea for the next seasonal donut that the chain would produce and then sell at their stores all over the country. Customers eagerly filled out form after form full of their great flavor concoctions in the hopes of seeing their donut appear at their local shop, assuming that their entry mattered and was truly in the running for the grand prize. The strange thing was that in the 2 years that the contest was held both of the winners chosen by the Dunkin' Donuts company prominently featured Hershey's products in their recipes. ( 2008's Heath bar topped 'Toffee for your coffee' and 2009's Reese's peanut butter cup topped 'Monkey see monkey donut') Dunkin' Brands Inc was engaged in a promotional contract with the Hershey's Company to feature and promote Hershey's brand products in both their Baskin Robbin's ice cream and Dunkin' Donuts locations. Meaning that no matter what, the winner of the contest was guaranteed to be a Hershey's candy branded donut. So what? Should this matter? No. It's a contest about donuts. However, it begs the questions: 'Well, if you had already decided who was going to win..... then what was the point in having a contest in the first place? Why get the hopes of your fans/customers up to think that there was some sort of competition when no matter how strong or weak the entry, the winner had already been determined?' Congratulations to all the Earwolf challenge podcasts for their hard work and holding their ground week in and week out. And to the winner, make sure you take a lesson from the short lived 'Toffee for your coffee' and 'Monkey see monkey donut' because no matter how sugary sweet the use of recognized brands can seem, no one enjoys the taste of predetermination for long.