BIG UPDATE #2: It turns out that the people who originally contacted me about this sponsorship post think that my experience and your fantastic comments are great feedback for Dannon! Thanks so much for your honesty and ability to laugh at me — with me.
BIG UPDATE: So, here’s something funny…well, funny isn’t exactly the word I want to use, but it’s the most safe for work. It turns out that in an earlier version of this post, I reviewed the wrong product for what was to be a sponsored post. I was asked to review Dannon’s Oikos yogurt; I, in fact, reviewed Stonyfield’s Oikos yogurt.
Yup.
In my defense (and I think I can build a good case), because the Dannon website says that its Oikos yogurt is marketed and distributed in connection with Stonyfield, and because all of the products are pictured together on the Dannon website, I thought that the Stonyfield version of Oikos was one of the products that I was asked to review. Turns out? Nuh uh. Same name, same branding — DIFFERENT product. Dannon Oikos is, essentially, a new yogurt (formerly called something else) while the Stonyfield Oikos yogurt is the same old thing. So Dannon really didn’t need me to review a product that it has no hand in making or marketing.
Oops.
I’m leaving the review up because I still stand by the flavor and the product review, but wanted to clear some things up (I’m also making edits in the body of the post).
***
I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.
For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.
I often call myself a CHO HO. I love Chobani greek yogurt, and it’s a must-get on the weekly grocery list.
But while I love the Chobani product, I’ve always loved the Stonyfield company. Stonyfield has supported the healthy living community since its infancy, has sponsored some of our biggest events, has taken bloggers on tours of their farms and truly, truly changed the way Americans look at organic and local foods (hello, Food Inc.?).
When Clever Girls contacted me to see if I would be interested in reviewing the new and improved Oikos greek yogurt, brought to stores through a Dannon/Stonyfield partnership, I said — “you know it!” (Update: again, while I originally wrote this as part of a CCC project, my mistake meant that I did not review the correct product and this is now just a review of the Stonyfield Oikos flavor, NOT a Dannon yogurt.)
I had the chance to try the Peach Mango flavor of Oikos at Healthy Living Summit and was a bit overwhelmed by the sweetness…and not in love with the consistency (it’s thinner than other greek yogurts). So when I saw my choices at the grocery store, I was pretty excited. Chocolate! Caramel! Honey! Honey Fig!
After much hemming and hawing, I chose two flavors: Honey Fig and Vanilla. This morning, I broke out the HF flavor and topped it with the Nuts About Granola Warrior Crunch, a special blend made just to raise money for Susan from The Great Balancing Act, who’s battling cancer.
My first disappointment upon opening this Oikos turned out to be a good thing — I was bummed to see that there was much less yogurt than the packaging seemed to indicate. I don’t know if you can see from the picture, but there’s a big gap between the lip of the yogurt cup and the actual yogurt. But, it left me lots of room for pouring in the granola and having zero spillage.
Plus, the lid (once licked) revealed a fun message that made me want to head to Greece. Like, now.
The flavor lacked a little … something for me. Where I’d found the Peach Mango too sweet, I found this one a bit bitter (maybe it was the fig?), so I added a drop or two of stevia, which really helped the flavor in my mind.
Because my tummy is very sensitive to dairy, I try and limit my intake, but greek yogurt is something I just won’t give up. There are so many good things that it does (aside from being delicious).
Oikos also has it ALL over Chobani for its organic ingredients, no additives, etc. I was really blown away when I held the two cups side by side.
Taste-wise, I still prefer the thickness of Chobani, and since I tend to get plain yogurt and add my own fruit, etc., I’m not that likely to purchase the flavored forms of Oikos on my own. But I will consider using the plain Oikos in my smoothies, for overnight oats, in place of sour cream, etc.
Your turn! Pick one:
1) Do you like greek yogurt, or do you think it’s the latest healthy eating fad?
2) How much do you consider the company or organization when buying products?
3) If you could create a greek yogurt flavor of your own, what would it be?
(FYI: If you want to learn more about my disclosure and sponsorship policies, please head here!)
About Katy
Oh my! I can not wait to try the honey fig flavor. I don’t eat much yogurt, Greek or otherwise, but I am going to have to try this flavor!
Jessie recently posted..Tuesday Things | August 24th
Hey, Katy. Very thorough review.
But I have a question. Is this Stonyfield OIKOS or Dannon OIKOS? I know there are two versions… you have pictures of Stonyfield Organic OIKOS but used the facts from Dannon OIKOS. Are they different? Not trying to be a pill. 
Not a pill at all
I think I need to dig a little deeper.
According to this:
http://www.oikosyogurt.com/stonyfield-dannon-partnership/
“Dannon® and Stonyfield® have worked together to bring Oikos® Greek yogurt to more stores near you. The delicious, authentic Stonyfield Organic Oikos remains the same as it’s always been. The Dannon Greek you might have tried has now become Dannon Oikos, and keeps the same deliciously creamy recipe. Dannon Oikos has added new flavors, including Peach and Black Cherry, and a few more indulgent, higher-fat, traditional-blended flavors: Strawberry, Key Lime, and Raspberry. Plain and Vanilla varieties also are now available in new 32-oz containers. We’re excited about these changes and hope our new products and flavors are something you and your family enjoy.”
BUT the FAQ page says:
To be clear, Dannon is not making all of the Oikos products. Dannon and Stonyfield have worked together to bring Oikos Greek yogurt to more stores near you. The delicious, authentic Stonyfield Organic Oikos remains the same as it’s always been. The Dannon Greek you might have tried has now become Dannon Oikos, but it uses the same deliciously creamy recipe.
So maybe I bought, accidentally, a Stonyfield Oikos, not a Dannon Oikos, thinking that they were one and the same?
I’ll try and pin down some answers now
Check out the update on the post
BIG mistake…ugh…stupid packaging.
I prefer plain Greek yogurt. I used to eat a lot of yogurt but realized how much sugar was in it and stopped. I am so happy that Greek yogurts are trying to be healthier!
Lisa recently posted..I Had a Drinking Problem
I am a fan of Greek yogurt, and I always go back to Fage plain, nonfat. It keeps me full, and I can mix in whatever I want. The flavored ones are always either too sweet or taste off to me, so I just stick with plain and usually add honey and granola.
Jessica @ Sushi and Sit-Ups recently posted..Chuck’s
That’s hilarious. I saw that new Dannon Oikos and was pretty confused myself–I will just stick to Chobani. They taste amazing and their customer service is excellent. I don’t always look at the company when I buy something, but in the case of Greek yogurt, Chobani has been so awesome to work with that I stand by them 100%. As far as flavors go, I always just eat plain and add my own mix ins… and I just sat here for 5 minutes thinking of a kind I would make, but every kind I thought of already exists. Sweeeet.
janetha recently posted..seven short stories from the weekend.
I adore Greek yogurt, and pretty much believe I’ll never eat regular yogurt again. As a person who rarely eats meat (maybe once or twice per month if that), I like the high protein content — especially since I don’t eat many beans and detest tofu. I love Chobani too, but the Dannon is good too. There’s a Dannon Greek in key lime that I just found this week. It’s AMAZING!!! Perfect dessert!
I’d like to see a banana Greek yogurt.
Michele @ Healthy Cultivations recently posted..Weekend Update and Vlogging… Eventually
I think that’s more the fault of the companies involved than yours. Personally, it sounds a bit fishy. One is organic and one presumably, is not. I also assume they are at different price points. I really think that it has to do with clarity, which they aren’t providing.
Cat @Breakfast to Bed recently posted..I Rocked It Like A Hurricane.
Whoops! In fairness, it’s all very confusing!
Aine @ Something to Chew Over recently posted..5-4-3-2-1
I won’t lie I was supppppper confused by this too when I met the Dannon Oikos people at BlogHer. I was like time out, how is your yogurt Oikos when Stonyfield has been all over that forever.
I think the main difference is Stonyfield’s is organic and the Dannon isn’t, right?
I’m just confused and think this is a case of terrible marketing.
I feel like I’m alone in my viewpoint, but I don’t like Greek yogurt. I use it for cooking (it’s great for binding bison burgers or making a coating stick to oven-baked chicken), but every time I try to eat it, I’m grossed out. I’ve tried several brands and flavors – didn’t even like chocolate! Oh well, I’ll stick to my Activia.
Adrienna recently posted..Weekly Recap
That’s kind of funny about the mix up. Here’s why I’m so jealous- you CAN mix up your greek yogurts. We have one…yes ONE brand of greek yogurt in Canada. Sure, it is good, but they have a market monopoly and that means it pretty much never goes on sale (but at least it is available for a bit of a discount at Costco).
If I could add a flavour to what is currently available (plain, vanilla, strawberry, blueberry, fig) it would be lemon. I love lemon yogurt!
Kristen (inspiredbydooce) recently posted..one day, three microbrews
Funny story- about an hour and a half after posting this comment, I went to the grocery store. Guess what was a new and notable product? Danone Oikos!! (yeah, we even spell Dannon differently here)
Kristen (inspiredbydooce) recently posted..one day, three microbrews
Between the Stonyfield webinar I was in on last month and Dannon’s booth at BlogHer, I finally got the whole deal straight. Group Danone has some sort of partnership with Stonyfield Farm. where they share certain brand names, like Oikos and Activia. The Stonyfield Farm line is organic, while the Dannon line is conventional. Both companies now have an Oikos Greek yogurt and an Activia probiotic yogurt. Dannon used to have a Dannon Greek yogurt but renamed it Oikos. (Just had one while reading your post.)
Gail @ Shrinking Sisters recently posted..PMS kicked my butt
Eh, shit happens. Is that a bad response? haha. It’s an easy mistake to make and I’m sure the flavors are really similiar, right? I stick with fage, the same ol stuff i’ve been eating for years. But i love your addition of the warrior crunch to it!
claire @ the realistic nutritionist recently posted..Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Avocado Hummus Cucumber Bites
Haha! I almost did the SAME thing but then saw the Dannon Oikos by chance and realized my mistake. I will say the Dannon one is surprisingly very close to Chobani. And I was always a CHO HO too!
I don’t get it. I eat Stonyfield Oikos every day. It’s different than Dannon Oikos? There are two different Oikos Greek Yogurts being sold now?
I do love greek yogurt but I love plain yogurt so I tend to just buy stonyfield whole milk plain yogurt since greek is much more expensive. I really can’t stand flavored yogurts anymore, my taste buds really reject it.
Good job Katy
Matt @ The Athlete’s Plate recently posted..Take Me To Greece: Dannon Oikos Review
Hopefully the company learns from this — seems silly to launch a new product with the same name as another, very similar product. Of course people are going to get the two confused.
I definitely don’t think Greek yogurt is just a fad. Other types of yogurt have SO much sugar in – they are comparable to ice cream, just packaged as a “healthy” option. Unfortunately, in Australia I’ve only ever seen ONE flavored Greek yogurt, and that was just with honey, which I can do all by myself at home! I would question how much sugar is in the flavored ones – you should not be having more than 7-8 grams per 100 grams.
Tara @ Sweat like a Pig recently posted..Can ‘experts’ be trusted?
I have been waiting for these new flavors to hit my store. Saving my HLS coupons to stock up once I see them. The honey fig is lovely.
I am a big fan of Greek yogurt, but the pricing makes it a bit out of my budget. I buy quarts of Stonyfield Lowfat Plain yogurt instead. It doesn’t have the same protein content, but it still provides some protein, a good bit of calcium, and good bacteria. I didn’t used to like plain yogurt, and I still sometimes buy some flavored yogurt, but I like how refreshing the plain is!
Deva (Voracious Vorilee) recently posted..(Im)maturity
Honestly, I’m not a very big fan of yogurt. I can down *maybe* two single serving containers in a week…but then I’ve never really branched out. Maybe I should give all these fancy new names a shot?
Mmmm…I am a Greek yogurt lover…pineapple, cherry, lemon, vanilla…yum! I usually buy Chobani, because I know the flavors and am comfortable with them, but I can keep an open mind!
Lynna recently posted..Irene during…
Oikos tastes funky. Much prefer the store brand over this brand and the price is WAY better!