| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 6 , 2008
CONTACT:
Aleksandra Syska
Director of Membership
(703) 610-0241
asyska@rbanet.com
McLean, VA – The Retail Bakers of America (RBA) and participating retail bakeries have concluded the 2008 Presidential Election Cookie Poll, which allowed bakery customers to “vote” for their next President. Voting took place at local bakeries across the country, and weekly totals were submitted to RBA for tallying. National and state totals, along with cookie photos and news articles, were posted to www.rbanet.com/2008cookiepoll.htm.
Bakeries offered decorated cookies with Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain's name, photo or caricatures to their customers. Customers could “vote” as many times as they wished. Some bakeries offered cookies for the vice presidential candidates and third-party candidates, while others offered election cupcakes. RBA only tallied cookies sales for the presidential nominees. One cookie equaled one vote.
"The RBA cookie poll allowed bakeries to participate in the election in a fun way and brought new customers into many of our members' businesses,” said Lynn Schurman, RBA President and owner of Cold Spring Bakery, Cold Spring, Minn. “It was a great example of how capitalism and democracy work together for the benefit of all."
This is the second election for which RBA has held the cookie poll. The first was in 2004, when RBA accurately predicted the next president as George W. Bush. This year, RBA predicted a 59% to 41% lead for Obama through nationwide cookie sales. Over 74,000 cookies were sold in a nine-week period among 53 bakeries in 25 states. The cookie poll successfully predicted the winner in all of the states except Missouri, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Texas. In three of those states – Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas – the cookie poll was accurate in the counties in which the bakeries are located. The only anomaly was Nevada with the county voting Democratic and the cookie poll going Republican.
The Retail Bakers of America ( RBA ) is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit trade association located in McLean, VA whose membership consists of retail bakeries, industry suppliers, educators, students, culinary colleges and other industry partners. The RBA is committed to the success of the retail baking industry. Celebrating its 90 th anniversary year, RBA works as the business partner and resource provider for bakers across the country, and is the nation's premier source for industry information.
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