• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, December 23, 2015

Taking a cue from "Do Us a Flavor," the successful buzz- and sales-building contest run by PepsiCo sister brand Lay's, Quaker's "Bring Your Best Bowl" promotion is incentivizing consumers to come up with Quaker Instant Oatmeal's next new flavor.

To drive participation, the brand is employing TV ads, as well as its social media channels and tie-in promotions with retailers. 

Consumers who submit their new-flavor ideas (adding at least two and no more than five ingredients to oatmeal and/or water or milk) to Quaker by March 12 will be entered in weekly sweeps drawings with $250 prizes and evaluated by a judging panel that will select three finalists and a $250,000 grand-prize winner.

The entries may be made through a Quaker contest site, Quaker's Facebook page or Twitter. In addition, consumers can enter through the sites of select retail partners, who are promoting the contest with in-store displays. Some are also offering their own ancillary sweeps or giveaways. 

The three finalists will each receive $5,000, whether or not they go on to win the grand prize. As in Lay's' "Do Us a Flavor" contest, the finalist oatmeal flavors will be produced and sold at retail. For several weeks while they're on sale next fall, consumers will be encouraged to buy and taste-test the flavors, and vote for their favorite online.  That vote will determine the grand prize winner.

Quaker may produce and offer the winning flavor as a limited-time product that would go on sale near the end of February 2017. Since Quaker owns all the rights to the entries, it can also rename the finalists, reformulate them and put them back on the market as it sees fit.

The contest Web site features oatmeal recipes, as well as "trending ingredients," to inspire contestants.