Cold Stone Creamery’s iMix America Contest Begins Its Final Round

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The third and final round of Cold Stone Creamery’s interactive iMix America contest is now underway, and the remaining 20 finalists are polishing their social networking skills as they continue to promote their ice cream creations and secure a win for the $30,000 in prizes.

“As this competition comes to an end, it is impressive to see the creative and interactive marketing skill sets these students have developed”

With all votes wiped clean at the end of each elimination bracket, only 20 of the most tech-savvy competitors out of 125 have advanced to the finals. Combining their zeal for technology and one-of-a-kind ice cream Creations, the remaining finalist will have 46 days to secure the lead position in the iMix America contest. With the contest ending at midnight on Dec. 31, one person, through social networking, word-of-mouth and local marketing tactics, will earn the grand prize.

In February of this year, the iMix America contest launched with 9,000 applicants all hoping to win the grand prize. The chosen participants partnered with a local Cold Stone Creamery store to create their own ice cream Creation. Using their social networks, these Generation Y contestants promoted their concoctions with friends all across the country. As the competition heats up, so does the contestants’ enthusiasm for collecting votes. In fact, in round two, with only 125 contestants in the running, there were actually more votes generated, 5,696 to be exact, versus round one with about 300 contestants and 5,396 votes.

“As this competition comes to an end, it is impressive to see the creative and interactive marketing skill sets these students have developed,” said Suzanne Schutz, vice president of Cold Stone Marketing. “It’s exciting to see a new and innovative form of promotion come to life.”

As Cold Stone mixes up this interactive contest, the following states still have competing Generation Y participants: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Wisconsin.

At the end of the second bracket, the three most voted Creations were Twink-i Explosion from California, Black & White Delight from Puerto Rico, and Minty Miracle from Minnesota. The recipes of each of these Creations are described below:

1. Twink-i Explosion created by LaTia Winfrey from California

French Vanilla ice cream mixed with yellow cake and better cream frosting

2. Black & White Delight created by Orlando Morales from Puerto Rico

French Vanilla ice cream mixed with brownies, white chocolate chips and caramel

3. Minty Miracle created by Brendon Moise from Minnesota

Mint ice cream mixed with brownies, fudge and chocolate shavings

This is the final bracket of iMix America and the finalists’ last opportunity to market their ice cream Creations. Voting for these last 20 Creations will end at midnight on Dec. 31, and the winning student and Creation will be determined.

The iMix America winner will be awarded in January 2009 at the Cold Stone Creamery headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. The prize package, worth $30,000, includes automotive, travel, electronics, and cellular phone products and services.

Cold Stone Creamery

Cold Stone Creamery delivers The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience® through a community of franchisees who are passionate about ice cream. The secret recipe for smooth and creamy ice cream is handcrafted fresh daily in each store, and then customized by combining a variety of mix-ins on a frozen granite stone. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Cold Stone Creamery is part of the Kahala holding company, one of the fastest-growing franchising companies in the world, with a portfolio of 12 quick service restaurant brands. Cold Stone Creamery alone operates nearly 1,400 locations in the 11 countries.

For more information about Cold Stone Creamery, visit the brand’s Web site at www.coldstonecreamery.com. For more information about Kahala, visit the company’s Web site at www.kahalacorp.com.