Hershey’s traditional candy maker introduced its Cookie Layer Crunch, which is projected as one of its greatest “innovations” in over sixteen years. Hershey’s says that the pre-launch test-marketing of the new candy earned it the highest ratings for any of its products till date. The brand created three different types of communication and partnered with social site, Facebook to reach consumers across the country all at once.
Thereafter, it used communication in other social posts. With the help of this quick and smart distribution strategy, Hershey’s managed to deliver Cookie Layer Crunch to retailers and stores all across the country in quick time.
Ari Ben-Canaan, senior manager of global advertising services at Hershey’s, said, “Given digital’s ability to be very quick, we decided to leverage Facebook as a platform because it’s a platform where you get that reach that you’re seeking but you can also be hyper-targeted at the same time. TV production lead times are typically very long and involved whereas digital can be a little bit more agile and you don’t have to be so precious about all the editing schedules and the effects. Digital is an ephemeral environment where people are consuming content and moving on so we’re able to produce something that was really quick, high quality [and] built for an environment where we knew viewers were going to consume it and then probably go on to their social feeds.”
Hershey’s created a 20-second teaser video just a week before the launch of Cookie Layer Crunch on December 4, 2016, which also happens to be the National Cookie Day. The video showed a 3D image of Cookie Layer Crunch coming out of the screen in the manner of a tech product launch. Says Mary-Ann Somers, general manager, and vice president, at Hershey’s, “We recognize eating habits are evolving and that consumers are moving away from traditional meals and into multiple snacking occasions that include various tastes and textures throughout the day.”