F CASE STUDY:

TITLE OF Reese’s
s Perfect

Business
s Situation and
a Campaig
gn Objectives
s

REESE’S S had not advertised since 2004, thereffore in the ab bsence of commmunication, sales were
consisten
ntly softening.. Through the
e loss of limite nd softening base brand ssales, the
ed editions an
brand hadd lost a great deal of occa
asions from moderate
m and light users. The team wa as tasked with
h
developin
ng a connectio on driven con
nsumer comm munication prrogram that ccould build an
nd sustain
Reese’s brand
b loyalty.

The REES SE’S PERFEECT campaign n was origina ated as a resu

ult of extensivve research tto identify the
e
core cons
sumer insightts that would clearly positio
on the REESSE’S brand att the top of th
he chocolate
candy cattegory.

The REES
SE’S PERFEC
CT campaign
n objectives in
ncluded the fo
ollowing:

 Drive
D consume
er awareness
 Drive
D consume
er purchase frrequency of REESE’S
R Pea
anut Butter Cu
ups
 In
ncrease categ
gory share and topline sale
es
 Utilize
U themed
d executions to support various
v otional events as well as seasonal sp
promo pecific
exxecutions

Research
h Story

Both quallitative and qu

uantitative research was conducted
c to define the crreative strategy and develop
the campaign. Leverag ging the “commbination of chocolate
c andd peanut butte er” helped to position
REESE’SS in a competitively-distinc ctive space an
nd honed in oon what cons umers loved about the
brand.

g how the tarrget thinks ab

Identifying bout REESE’SS (In depth co
onsumer inte erviews)
REESE’S S consumers consider
c REEESE’S to be the
t perfect co ombination off chocolate and peanut
butter. Thhere is a syneergy to this combination. While each i s thought to be delicious, when the two
ingredients are brough ht together in a REESE’S Peanut Butte aste pleasure is
er Cup, the ta
unexpecte edly magnifieed. REESE’S S consumers find the bran
nd exceptiona ally alluring an
nd believe it
radiates a positive ene ontagious. The brand is d
ergy that is co down-to-earthh, playful, andd outgoing an nd
is not at all
a stuffy or judgmental.

Understan
nding creativ
ve performanc
ce (Millward Brown
B Link™
™ Copy Testin
ng)

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Hershey’s Consumer Insights team worked with Millward Brown to conduct Link Copy Tests to first
understand the creative direction for the brand, and second, to understand how to evolve the
campaign year over year.

Initial results for REESE’S PERFECT showed above average breakthrough potential and persuasive
power of the ads. Breakthrough potential as measured by Millward Brown’s Awareness Index was
over 3 times higher than the Millward Brown norm.

REESE’S also gained important learnings about how to execute and think about the campaign.
 The trademarked orange background drove strong brand cues
 The witty joke helped to build enjoyment and engagement
 Consumers liked the simple, to the point nature of the ads and therefore clearly took
away intended messaging
 Product images helped drive appetite appeal

Monitoring in-market performance (Millward Brown Brand Health Tracking)

Continuous in-market tracking has become integral to understanding REESE’S brand equity and
advertising performance. Consumers responded very positively to the advertising - they saw the ads
as fitting to the REESE’S brand, enjoyable, and able to communicate the intended messaging. Since
the launch of the 'REESE’S PERFECT' campaign, brand awareness, consideration and recent
usage have increased substantially. Recent usage alone increased 15pts within 2 years. The brand
has not only increased recent consumers, but has built an emotional connection with consumers.
Within a short time after campaign launch, impressions of the REESE’S brand began to strengthen
and were found to be clearly aligned with top drivers of purchase consideration while also
differentiating from top competitors.

In mid-2010, competitive activity began to take off and there was an increase in chocolate category
advertising creating a more cluttered TV environment. More than ever, the importance of highly
effective and differentiated advertising was crucial to REESE’S success. While REESE’S sales
growth was still up, some slowing began to occur once the campaign moved into year four. The
team again turned to the research to uncover the source and confirm nothing changed in consumers’
minds. A full audit was conducted of past and present research and found that some ads did not
communicate intended messaging as well as previous versions. Workshops between Hershey,
Millward Brown, and Arnold led to the development of a plan on how to evolve the campaign and
ensure the key product benefit is always communicated.

With this revitalized understanding, the team went back to the initial consumer insights and focused
on reminding and reinforcing to consumers two key points: REESE’S is the perfect combination of
peanut butter and chocolate and is the brand consumers desire. As a result, advertising that went
back to the core consumer insights was very successful in boosting awareness to the highest levels
of the campaign. TV ad awareness experienced a 10+pt increase from mid-2010 and a 25pt
increase from 2007.

Evolving the campaign into year #6

To evolve the campaign, the team continued to use Link Copy Testing and brand health tracking as
primary resources for sustained research. REESE’S began to expand the campaign to include new
product launches, seasonal awareness building, and movie sponsorship promotion. In addition, the
campaign continues to evolve and refresh advertising of the base brand in order to maintain
relevance in a changing marketplace.

Role of Research in Campaign Development

Research has been fundamental to the development and progression of the REESE’S PERFECT
campaign. Extensive analyses were done with Millward Brown and Hershey’s Insights team to
uncover the true strengths of the campaign and areas for improvement.

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Executional mandatories were developed as the campaign progressed including brand cue usage,
communication priorities, and brand voice.

Campaign Description

The perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter provides a platform for a wide range of
messaging. Distinctive branding elements and the product take center stage in a simple, yet iconic
message. REESE’S creative embraces that symbiotic duality that comes from our perfect combination of
chocolate and peanut butter. REESE’S ads don’t have to tell a story –instead they offer an eclectic mix of
pithy, punchy, wry commentary, tapping into insights on everything from sharing to superheroes.
REESE’S doesn’t take itself too seriously. Whether we’re talking about global warming or basketball, we
have something to say –it’s off the cuff, but it’ll make you stop and nod.

The REESE’S PERFECT campaign began airing in April, 2007 and has evolved since its inception. The
campaign continues to run strong through 2012. The campaign has used a variety of media vehicles to
execute the campaign including TV, radio, print, and digital.

Media Plan

REESE’S PERFECT campaign creative includes core equity, line extensions, seasonal, and integrated
spots. Campaign creative leverages REESE’S consumer passion areas like movie equities and sports.
Our media plan leverages a strong media mix including TV, radio, print, and digital (across paid, owned,
earned, and shared platforms). The campaign leverages seasonally relevant creative across the
calendar year with strong support of key merchandising programs, seasonal windows, and consumer
promotions. The REESE’S PERFECT campaign has also successfully supported new product launches
within the REESE’S franchise portfolio.

Business Results

Since launching in April 2007, the REESE’S PERFECT campaign has helped drive REESE'S sales
and brand health to new levels. REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups is the largest brand within US
chocolate, and the REESE’S franchise has annual sales exceeding $1.4 billion and a total share of
12.0% (Source: Nielsen 52 Weeks ending 11/3/12).

Since launching the Perfect campaign:

- Total Franchise retail sales have increased $448.5 million or 49% (Source: IRI 52 Weeks ending
12/27/07; Nielsen 52 Weeks ending 11/3/12)
- REESE’S Peanut Butter Cup brand retail sales have increased $269 million or 40% (Source: IRI
52 Weeks ending 12/27/07; Nielsen 52 weeks ending 11/3/12)
- REESE’S brand health and equity metrics outperform the chocolate category average. Brand
loyalty is now over triple the average. (Millward Brown Brand Health Tracking)
 
 

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