• The New York Times, Thursday, September 20, 2007 10:45 AM

It's another example of how marketers are reallocating advertising dollars to nontraditional methods of reaching consumers. The Dreyer's Grand division of Nestlé that sells Häagen-Dazs ice cream has been sponsoring an elaborate campaign centered on a contest to find an exotic flavor to sell under its brand name.

"Scoop: The Häagen-Dazs Flavor Search" is a section on the Häagen-Dazs Web site (haagen-dazs.com/scoop)that includes user-generated content such as video clips, photographs and letters proposing ideas for flavors and promotional events at places like cooking schools, among its offerings. The contest is scheduled to end tomorrow with an announcement of the winning flavor on "Good Morning America" on ABC.

The company uses the phrase "engagement campaign" to describe the initiative that looks beyond traditional print ads, commercials, and signage, according to David Ritterbush, senior vice president for marketing at Dreyer's Grand. "These types of partnerships give consumers a chance to interact with brands rather than just reading about them," he says.

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