If You Love Vanilla, Are You Bland?

by Jennifer Lawinski, Posted Apr 29th 2010 @ 12:00PM

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What does your favorite ice cream flavor say about you?

To help find out -- and to promote three new ice cream flavors -- Starbucks brought in StrategyOne and Food-ology researcher and behavioral food expert Juliet A. Boghossian, who authored the "What Flavor Are You?" survey.

"The seemingly simple preference for vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream says a lot more about us than you might think," Boghossian says.

Turns out, those who prefer vanilla are anything but, the survey says.

More so than fans of chocolate or strawberry, vanilla lovers say they're risk takers. Chocolate and strawberry eaters, on the other hand, are more likely to describe themselves as shy.

Men are more likely than women to go for strawberry, and strawberry lovers are more likely be free-spirited and hip-hop fans. Chocolate lovers read more. And most Americans -- 58 percent -- say the best place for eating ice cream is on the couch.

With the launch of its new ice cream flavors -- Vanilla Bean Frappuccino®, Signature Hot Chocolate® and Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino® -- Starbucks is banking on one more result.

A full 77 percent of Americans agreed with the statement: "Amidst all the trendy flavors, I always come back to the classics."

"Just as this survey highlights some bold and unique personalities, we're putting our signature on three classic ice cream flavors in a way that is unmistakably Starbucks," Mary Theisen, director, business development, Starbucks Global Consumer Products said in a statement. "Our goal is to help consumers extend their Starbucks Experience outside of our stores and what better way than our super-premium ice creams inspired by their favorite beverages."

Filed Under: New Products, News
Tags: chocolate ice cream, featured, ice cream, starbucks, strawberry ice cream, vanilla ice cream, what flavor are you

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 2)

4-29-2010 @1:34PM Julie said... Not at all, vanilla is quite flavorful it holds its own the same as any other flavor.
http://www.noshtalgia.blogspot.com/
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4-30-2010 @6:55PM Tina said... I am a Thrifty Ice Cream lover. (Thrifty Ice Cream is only available in California at Rite Aid drug stores) They have a new flavor out called Red Hots and it's basically Red Hot cinnamon candies crushed in ice cream. It is SOOOOOO good! Mmmmm that and a scoop of Black Cherry on a cone is heaven!
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4-29-2010 @8:53PM Milos W. B. Dobroslavic said... If you love ice cream, you are undoubtedly headed straight for the ranks of America's First Fat Families, Kirstie Alley and Oprah Winfrey, high priestessing. It's really a shame that we have so much, life is so convenient, and the rest of the world just barely stays alive. Doesn't anyone feel this is wrong? The obscenity of the world's richest man, Gates, Jr., soliciting ten dollar contributions from a strapped economic country on American Idol the other night was more than I
could bear watching. I had to turn it off. As far as I'm concerned, it would seem that the only thing that Microsoft's former Chairman is interested in is getting the entire world hooked on computers, Windows 7 to be specific, so that his stock worth will double in the next ten years. I could be wrong, but that's the way I see it.
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4-29-2010 @10:14PM JiveNJingle said... Milos, I believe that Americans are indeed sick and tired of hearing about struggles day in, day out. Stopping the worrying for five minutes to talk about their favorite flavor of ice cream does not diminish the importance of these worries, it just sets them aside for a moment.

But if you're going to blather on about Bill Gates and his immense wealth, and how he has the audacity to ask for donations, bear in mind that there are other far wealthier people in this world, the wealthiest being a Mexican resident, Mexico, one of the poorest third-world toilets, yet this man keeps his purse strings very tight. Maybe he should be asking the Mexican citizens for donations for charities.

Lighten up Milos, give yourself a break from your worry, disgust and guilt just long enough to imagine a spoonful of delicious, cold, creamy ice cream in your mouth. Give it a rest.

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4-29-2010 @8:58PM Marshall said... A couple of things I would like to point out. The big comment made above about being
in the armed forces has NOTHING to do with how ice cream tells us about our personalities.
Secondly , vanilla ice cream comes in different variations. It jumps at me as being conservative
though. Straight French vanilla ice cream has a yellowish coloration and I like it with fudge
or carmel sauces. It goes well with most pies. Some white colored icecreams have mint
flavoring with nuts in them.
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4-29-2010 @9:03PM LJICBL said... Really looking forward to trying the new flavors especially the Signature Hot Chocolate and the Stawberries & Creme Frappuccino. I just found another new flavor from Ben & Jerry's that has become a fast favorite. Boston Cream Pie could ruin bikini season this year if I am not careful!!
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5-06-2010 @1:12PM NYQBANA said... Starbucks needs to bring back their Coffee Almond Fudge flavor! Talk about a great ice cream flavor. I keep looking for it at all the different markets that carry the brand and it seems to have been discontinued. Too bad, I really enjoyed that flavor.
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4-29-2010 @9:45PM Joan said... What ever became of banana? I can only find it in small ice cream parlors. I haven't been able
to find the good taste of banana ice cream as a I had many years ago. The ones I have tried
only have a small hint of banana. Maybe someone has a receipe I can make myself.
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4-30-2010 @1:14AM Melissa said... I'm with you - I wonder what happened to banana, but I also wonder what happened to straight coconut icecream; I can find pineapple coconut, but would just love straight coconut ice cream; wisconsin had a brand of icecream that was a coconut cream that I absolutely love, but unfortunately, its not sold here in Virginia.

Ben and Jerrys has chunky monkey that is banana with chocolate and nuts, which is really good.

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4-30-2010 @1:02AM LTJ said... This is the season for Banana Ice Cream. One of my favorites is sold by Kroger
in (from?) their ice cream freezer.

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4-29-2010 @9:34PM jeff said... Yep vanilla, its always been hip!
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4-29-2010 @10:00PM memphisbelle said... My favorite flavor is whatever I'm eating at the time.
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4-29-2010 @10:08PM Trish said... My very favorite ice cream flavor is Vanilla, BUT only because I can add different things to it to make it different and interesting. I truely LOVE adding pineapple to my vanilla ice cream, then second is peaches, they are my most favorite.
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4-29-2010 @10:19PM Bridgette said... Okay, where is this "What Ice Cream Says About You" QUIZ/SURVEY? I'd love to take it, just to see what my favorite flavor says about me! Thanks to anyone would can help!!
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4-29-2010 @10:31PM MollyMac said... Bridgette: I'm still looking for the questionaire, too. I don't really care what it says about me. There is almost NO ice cream that this household of six won't try. Two of us have a favorite: Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, but the two of us will have any kind along with the rest of them.
I once made a batch of my own (Rasberry/Vanilla) with real cream, and we all spent the next 48 hours in the bathroom. Forget Phillip's!
Every State has its flower, its motto, its song, its bird ... the U.S. of A. should have a favorite desert. I'd vote for ice cream in the blink of an eye.

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4-29-2010 @10:21PM Terri said... What if you don't like ANY of those "top 3"? My favorite by FAR is COFFEE ice cream, followed by Mocha, and they seem to be getting more and more difficult to find. I just LOVED Starbucks Mud Pie (probably TOO much), and was really bummed that they discontinued it.

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4-29-2010 @11:09PM April said... @ Rick
They might tell you about salvation because that is more important than ice cream. Ice cream can make us feel good for a moment. Heaven will always feel and be good, unlike hell.
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