1

All I Want for Christmas is Chocolate: An Analysis of the Hersheys Brand

Group Name And Group members first and last names

All I Want for Christmas is Chocolate: An Analysis of the Hersheys Brand

Table of Contents Executive Summary.3 Introduction..4-7 Research Methods.7-9 Findings Part 1....9-14 Findings Part 2..14-19 Conclusion20-21 Recommendations for Future Research22-23 Recommendations for Practitioners..23-24 References......................................................................................................................................25

Appendices Appendix A: Interview guide26 Appendix B: Summary of interviews...27-29 Appendix C: Copy of website homepage..30 Appendix D: Copy of discussions on website...31

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Seasonal chocolate during the Christmas holiday is a huge industry, and Hersheys is a leading brand among its competitors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and evaluate the Hersheys brand image and the effectiveness of its marketing communications when compared to competing brands, like Reeses and M&Ms. We chose to research the Hersheys brand because of its popularity among consumers. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with seasonal chocolate consumers to gain knowledge about whether or not consumers viewed chocolate as an important and traditional part of Christmas, the particular chocolate brands bought around the holiday season, and consumers general thoughts about the Hersheys brand. Additional questions were asked about Hersheys marketing communication including commercials and promotions. Data collected from our interviews shows that during Christmas time, consumers feel that Hersheys brings families together by 1) spending time together and 2) giving gifts. Data also revealed that respondents believe that Hersheys is a great value because of its 1) price and 2) quality. In addition, we determined that Hersheys evokes the emotions of 1) happiness and 2) affection. Data analysis of the Hersheys Facebook fan page website can be broken down into two distinct categories: 1) how Hersheys uses Facebook to connect with consumers and 2) how consumers use Facebook to connect with Hersheys. The website and interview findings were both aimed at trying to learn as much as possible about the Hersheys brand. In our conclusion we will address the strengths and weaknesses of the Hersheys brand. We will also make recommendations for future research and practitioners.

INTRODUCTION Christmas is considered by many the most wonderful time of the year. Things like traditions, decorations, carols, family time, and gift giving make the season loved by many. Yet, one feature that makes this season such a joyous one is chocolate. Chocolate is very popular around the Christmas season because of its appeal as a great gift or stocking stuffer. Seasonal chocolate has become a $4.6 billion market, and Christmas is the second highest seasonal chocolate buying holiday with 30% of the market segment (Mintel, 2010). With Christmas chocolate sales of $378 million, there are a lot of companies fighting for market share. Brands like Hersheys, Reeses, and M&Ms lead the pack in sales during the holiday season. To keep their lead, brands must be innovative with new products to market to consumers. For instance, Hershey Co. spent $28.8 million in research and development in 2008 to come up with new products ideas that would entice consumers to buy. Specifically, Hershey Co. focused on innovation in flavors and shapes (Mintel, 2010). Some new products available during the 2009 Christmas season included Hersheys Cookies n Crme Nutcracker-Shaped Molded Bars, Reeses Peanut Butter Trees, and M&Ms Mint Thrills (see Figure 1).

5 Figure 1
Products Hersheys Cookies n Cream NutcrackerShaped Molded Bars Image When Launched 2009 Christmas season Main Ingredients Sugar, Cocoa butter, and Skim milk Manufacturers Information The Hersheys Company UPC code 750102455000

Reeses Peanut Butter Trees

Launch in 1991, repackaged in 2009

Chocolate, Peanut Butter

Hersheys Food Corp

034000473038

M&Ms Premium Mint Thrills

2009 Christmas season

White chocolate, Mint, Dark chocolate

Mars Snackfood US, LLC

040000376460

Source: Product Launch Analytics, Mintel Reports

Along with new product innovations, brands must promote and advertise effectively. Hershey Co. spent $241 million in advertising in 2009, and although it is not known what proportion of this went to seasonal chocolate, it is believed to be a large amount due to Hersheys dominant seasonal chocolate market share. Hersheys credits its success to our consumerdriven strategy, including advertising and in-store selling, merchandising, and programming (Mintel, 2010). To demonstrate Hersheys consumer-driven strategy, marketing campaigns around the holiday season are geared towards the target market of household candy buyers: women. Women are more likely to purchase an above average amount of candy for the household. Women also buy 10% more chocolate in the major holidays than men do (Mintel, 2010). Hersheys takes it upon themselves to make advertisements that resonate with this major target market. To do this,

6 Hersheys can research this demographics consumer behavior. For instance, the following figure (Figure 2) shows consumer behavior among women who bought chocolate in the last 6 months.

Figure 2

Of the Women Who Bought Chocolate in the Last 6 months...

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 77.5 69.7 30 54.2 36.9 35.4 28.1 27.4 20 34.2 29.8 17.9 10 13.3 26.3 25 0 Watch Food Read People Read Live in the North Watch Lifetime Read Better Own home Use Facebook Live in the South Use Youtube.com Percent Women Who Bought Chocolate in the Last 6 months

Consumer Behavior

Source: MRI+ Using this chart, Hersheys could use these consumer behaviors and others researched on MRI+ to position their products to target women. For example, because 34.2% of women watch the Food Network, Hersheys could run more promotions on that station. Or, Hersheys could provide 27.4% of chocolate consumers with Hersheys coupons or discounts in the magazine Better Homes and Gardens. Whether they choose to promote more or not, at least Hersheys can get to know their consumers better.

Use Yahoo!Mail

Caucasian

Now Married

7 In this paper, we will discuss the Hersheys brand image and whether or not its marketing communications are effective. Specifically, we take a closer look at consumers thoughts about the Hersheys brand image. Common themes that emerged from respondents include: 1) bringing families together, 2) adding great value, and 3) evoking emotions. We will also address Hersheys marketing communication effectiveness through their Facebook fan page. We will analyze 1) how Hersheys uses Facebook to connect with consumers and 2) how consumers use Facebook to connect with Hersheys. We address these topics via multiple methods of data collection, including: a) in-depth interviews, b) online postings, c) online observations, and d) secondary research. Through these methods we will provide recommendations for managers and future research.

RESEARCH METHODS Primary Research Interviews. For this paper, seven in-depth interviews were conducted with women ages 45 to 55. The interviews were done by phone or in person between the dates of November 23, 2010 November 28, 2010. The respondents were selected based on convenience sampling depending on their gender and age. We chose this demographic because women are the primary candy buyers of the household (Mintel 2010). Interview summaries of each respondent are addressed in Appendix B. The first question of the interview, Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holidays? was used to gauge the respondents overall view of seasonal chocolate. The responses would tell us how invested they were about chocolate during the Christmas season. We then asked questions about what kinds of brands interviewees buy around Christmas

8 time and the reason for buying those particular brands. This gave us insight to what respondents look for in a brand. Next, we transitioned into questions that would allow respondents to express the Hersheys brand into words and images. Questions such as: 1) When you hear the word Hersheys, what image comes to mind? 2) If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? and 3) What are three words that describe Hersheys? These questions helped us determine what thoughts are associated with the Hersheys brand. Next, we wanted to know if respondents could recall an advertisement of Hersheys. This would tell us whether or not Hersheys marketing strategies are effective. We then proceeded to show respondents a Christmas advertisement of Hersheys. We were curious to know what kind of emotions this commercial would evoke. We then used the projective technique of sentence completion. These questions were designed to further investigate respondents feelings toward Christmas season chocolate and Hersheys. Lastly, our interviewees were asked a series of demographic questions which include age, gender, occupation, ethnicity, and total household income. For the full list of interview questions, look to Appendix A. Website. Hersheys Facebook Fan page was chosen as the website for this paper. This website was chosen primarily because of Facebooks popularity. Companies like Hersheys use Facebook to connect with consumers and develop a relationship that they could not do elsewhere. With over 1.5 million fans on the website, Hersheys can use their fan page as a way to communicate directly with the consumer. The websites layout can be easily navigated with familiar Facebook users, but those unfamiliar with Facebook may have a difficult time. The navigational tools on the website include: wall, info, photos, video, discussion, events, and different promotional links. The websites wall contains posts from both Hersheys and fans.

9 The marketing graphics include the iconic Hersheys brand logo, as well as Hersheys commercials located in the video section.

Secondary Research Secondary research was conducted using Mintel Reports, MRI+, and Product Launch Analytics. Mintel Reports provided us with overall background information about seasonal chocolate. It gave us detailed facts about things like The Hershey Company, Christmas chocolate brand share, Christmas chocolate segment performance, advertising and promotion, and seasonal chocolate usage. MRI+ was used to further explore our demographic of older women. Using MRI+, we discovered different buying behaviors of our demographic (See Figure 2). Product Launch Analytics (PLA) allowed our group to investigate three consumer products that are targeted towards our demographic. According to PLAs website, Product Launch Analytics is the most comprehensive and detailed source of information for newly launched consumer packaged goods from around the world. It gave us key information about the product such as when launched, manufacturer information, main ingredients, UPC code, etc. (See Figure 1).

FINDINGS Findings part 1 focuses on data collected from our interviews. The interviews showed that during Christmas time, Hersheys brings families together by 1) spending time together and 2) giving gifts. Data also revealed that people believe that Hersheys is a great value because of 1) price and 2) quality. In addition, we determined that Hersheys evokes the emotions of 1)

10 happiness and 2) affection. Findings part 2 focuses on data analysis of the Hersheys Facebook fan page website which can be broken up into two distinct themes: 1) how Hersheys uses Facebook to connect with consumers and 2) how consumers use Facebook to connect with Hersheys. PART 1 Through our in-depth interviews, we were able to view Hersheys as a brand that inspires many different feelings from people. The idea of chocolate in itself can be viewed as a product that contributes to the many obesity problems in the country today. However, it could also be viewed as a product that inspires happiness from a generation on Christmas morning. We felt like Hersheys as a brand reflected too many ideas from the mass public. Therefore, we focused solely on females over the age of 45. The consensus was that Hersheys as a brand has three main themes; bringing families together, great value, and evoking emotions.

Bringing Families Together Spending Time Together. One dimension we found that was very prevalent in the interviews was the idea of spending time together. Whether consumers use chocolate to bake, make crafts, or eat, Hersheys brings that extra something special into an environment that draws people closer. It has always been a part of Christmas celebrations with the family. [Terri Crisp, age 49] I have traditions of baking and cooking with chocolate with my daughter every holiday. [Kim Williams, 47]

11 Because food is such huge part of the holidays, people make sure that when their families get together chocolate is a part of it.

Chocolate is very important for our holiday get-togethers. If I dont bring something chocolate, my family could get upset, so we have to have chocolate! [Nancy Baker, 51]

After analyzing these quotes, it can be seen that Hersheys is deeply embedded in the family tradition over the holiday season. Gift Giving. The second dynamic around family time is a sense of giving the gift of chocolate. Out of the seven interviews, six respondents mentioned giving chocolate as stockings stuffers for Christmas. Hersheys individually wrapped products, like their iconic Hersheys Kisses, make it easy for consumers to fill their stockings with chocolate.

I do always put chocolate in my childrens stockings. [Susan Anderson, age 56]

Chocolate is a gift that seems to be universal. When it came to giving chocolate as a gift for family members, one woman said:

I consider quality of the chocolate and packaging the most when I buy chocolate. [Kim Williams, age 47]

12 Because so many consumers buy chocolate as gifts for the holidays, Hersheys must attract consumers with their packaging. Red and green, sparkles, and seasonal pictures all allure consumers to buy Hersheys sweet treats.

Value Price. Hersheys has many expensive competitors. Some mentioned from our respondents include brands like Lindt and Ghirardelli. However, one thing that draws consumers to the Hersheys brand is its affordable price. Consumers feel like they are getting a good deal when they buy Hersheys because they are buying a delicious chocolate at a reasonable price.

People buy Hersheys because its a great chocolate at a good price. [Terri Crisp, age 49]

Quality. The women we interviewed were very consistent along the board when it came to this theme of Hersheys. According to many of our interviewees, Hersheys is not considered the leader in quality in the chocolate market, but it still has overall great quality. Consumers trust that brand names like Hersheys have great quality. When asked about why brand names were so important, one respondent said:

Quality. One year I bought an off brand, and it was awful! After that experience I stick to brand names. I like brand names because theyre names I knowI can trust them.

13 [Nancy Baker, 51]

Evokes Emotions Happiness. The interviewees seemed to think of Hersheys as a brand that got them thinking about the holiday spirit. We showed a commercial to each respondent and asked them what kinds of emotions the commercial evoked. The commercial can be described as a group of red and green wrapped Hersheys Kisses acting as a bell choir playing the song We Wish You a Merry Christmas. Hersheys chose not to make it about buying chocolate, but just to get consumer thinking about chocolate during the holidays. More importantly, Hersheys wanted to bring smiles to the consumers, leaving them with positive emotions (Mintel, 2010). After viewing the commercial, one woman responded:

I love it! It makes me feel happy. It also makes me think about this wooden tree decoration Ive had forever. Its a Hersheys kiss tree, so the commercial reminds me that I need to go buy some to fill up my tree!. [Nancy Baker, age 51]

I think that this evokes humor, laughter and positive emotions. [Beverly Gunderson, age 58]

Watching the holiday themed kiss commercial instantly put many of our respondents in a warm, happy mood. These quotes reveal how Hersheys is a brand that makes people happy. Hersheys uses creative advertising to bring smiles to consumers. With consumers associating Hersheys with happiness, they are more likely to purchase the brand.

14 Affection. Affection can be defined as a tender attachment or fondness. Many of our interviewees revealed that they connected chocolate with a strong sense of nostalgia. This feeling of nostalgia is an experience that parents want to pass down to their children.

Yes, I do believe chocolate is an important part of the holiday season, because I always got it when I was a kid. [Beverly Gunderson, 58]

Hersheys could create a marketing campaign that revolves around adults reminiscing about their childhood and recreating that experience for their own children. If Hersheys can continue to be part of the link between generational experiences, they can capitalize on being part of the holiday season.

PART 2 Although this paper is focusing on Hershey's seasonal chocolates, Findings Part 2 will taking a closer look at the Hershey's Facebook fan page, which includes content from many special occasions, not solely the Christmas holiday season. The website demonstrates how Hershey's and consumers both benefit from the use of social networking. Two prevalent themes found on the website include: 1) the way in which consumers use Facebook and 2) how Hershey's uses Facebook to benefit their brand.

How Hershey's Uses Facebook to Connect with Consumers Videos. Hershey's does a great job of incorporating videos into their Facebook page and also posting videos on their wall. Hershey's does this to gain awareness and excitement for their

15 new and existing products. With the use of the video portion of Facebook, Hershey's is able to keep consumers up to date on their new products by posting commercials that the consumer might otherwise not have seen. We think this allows Hershey's to make efficient use of their advertising by being able to reach such a great number of consumers. By using these videos, Hershey's is also able to promote their products in a very cost efficient manner. This also allows them to reach the same number of people, if not more. Facebook also allows users to share videos so consumers could re-post Hershey's video if they wish, and this would gain brand awareness. Wall Posts. Just as Hersheys utilizes the function of videos on Facebook, they also use wall posts to connect with the consumers. Hersheys wall has posts that are originated by Hershey's but also has comments from over 1,500,000 consumers. Hershey's uses the wall tool to post an array of topics. Hershey's posts includes statements about holidays, new products, and also consumer geared response questions. For example, Hershey's posted a holiday and consumer response post all in one:

November 29th is National Chocolates Day! What delicious HERSHEYS treats will you be eating to celebrate? [Hersheys Facebook Fan Page]

Hershey's also published Happy Holidays posts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and all other special events. They also have more recognizable posts that encourage consumer responses, such as:

16 Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you eat a HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate Bar? [Hersheys Facebook Fan Page]

By asking questions such as these, Hershey's is able to connect personally with their consumers and also make consumers realize that their voice is valuable. By posting questions like these, Hershey's is also able to see how their products are being viewed by consumers and could possibly even make constructive changes depending on the responses given. Also by using these responses, Hershey's is also able to benefit by using it as marketing research and thus improving their product and brand while keeping the consumers entertained. Events. Another tool that is available on Facebook is the event function which allows you to create or join events. Hershey's uses this aspect of Facebook in two ways; to keep consumers informed about upcoming promotions with their certain products and to let people know which events they are participating in. They are able to use this for promotions, such as sweepstakes and brand related perks of visiting their Facebook page. For example, Hershey's uses the event page to communicate to consumers about an upcoming contest:

Grand Prize: 2010 Chevy Camaro This sweet ride could be yours! Enter Daily and you could drive away in the all new Chevy Camaro! www.hersheys.com/sweetride [Hersheys Facebook Fan Page]

17 They direct the consumer straight to the website and make it very easy for the consumer to be involved. As stated before, the other way in which Hershey's uses the event function is to communicate which other brands they are partnering with for certain events, such as:

Score a trip for 4 to the NCAA bowl game of your choice or $50 worth of cool NCAA gear? Visit www.hersheys.com/bowl or text HRSHY to 44144 for your chance to win. [Hersheys Facebook Fan Page]

This shows that Hershey's is involved with the NCAA. Consequently, fans of the NCAA now know that Hersheys works with the NCAA in order to give perks to consumers and fans. By utilizing these aspects of Facebook, Hershey's is able to stay connected with their consumers and let them know that they are a valued part of the brand. Hersheys is a brand that has successfully implemented social networking to gain brand awareness and positively impact their brand image by allowing consumers to be actively involved.

How Consumers Use Facebook to Connect with Hershey's Wall Posts. Just like Hershey's uses the wall function of Facebook to connect with consumers, consumers also use social networking to connect with Hershey's. Most consumers enjoy being able to feel as if they matter and Facebook allows consumers to be able to comment on anything posted on the web page. This allows consumers to express their opinions, and they are comforted knowing that their voice is heard. The wall function makes it very easy for consumers to actively participate in discussions led by Hershey's. For example, Hersheys

18 posted, Whats the first thing that comes to mind when you eat a Hersheys Milk Chocolate Bar? and one consumer posted:

,nothing!- i can almost forget my name after a single bite! Yummy! [Melvin Salinasal, Facebook user]

This allows consumers to post their thoughts and feelings with the hope that Hershey's recognizes them and their voice as a consumer. There are over 1,500,000 fans of Hersheys Facebook fan page, and when a post goes up, the response rate is unbelievably high. The consumers that are loyal to Hersheys are also loyal to posting their opinions and praise on their Facebook page. It is comforting for consumers to know that so many other consumers share their taste in chocolate. By actively visiting and being involved in the page, consumers are likely to feel as if they are part of a brand community. In response to Hershey's question Remember the fun of dressing up on Halloween and going door to door filling up your treat bag? How are you celebrating Halloween this year? one consumer commented:

Buying lots of snack-sized Hershey's chocolates, and saving them ALL for MYSELF! TRICK!!!!!!! BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!!!! (ooh! a Special Dark!!!) ;) [Steve Cohen, Facebook user]

19 This shows that this consumer wanted to be actively involved in the discussion, and he received a lot of positive feedback which made him feel appreciated. We believe that making consumers feel as if they are part of a brand community is very important. Hershey's demonstrates this by consistently posting its well wishes on each holiday. Photos. Consumers are also able to use Facebook to post their own pictures on Hershey's page. This gives consumers the ability to illustrate their creativity with regards to Hershey's products. Consumers enjoy the freedom to be able to express themselves especially when they are involved in a group in which others share their interests, such as Hershey's. The following is an example of a photo posted on the Facebook page:

Source: Facebook.com

This ability to post photos allows a consumer to share a comic photo with the entire Hersheys community. This tool also gives the consumer a feeling of co-producing and makes them feel as if they are an important aspect of the fan page. The comments on the photos, wall,

20 videos, etc also allow the feeling or sense of co-production in which the consumer feels like a crucial part of the production process. With the use of Facebook, both the consumer and Hershey's can benefit positively from the interaction between each other. This mutually beneficial relationship can only increase brand awareness and further connect the brand and the consumer.

CONCLUSION After analyzing the information collected from the in-depth interviews and looking more closely at the Hersheys Facebook fan page, we have concluded that Hersheys is a brand that people use to connect with others. Looking at Figure 3, we see that Hersheys establishes connections with consumers through emotions, value, family time, and their Facebook page. This is reinforced from the information we were able to gather from the in-depth interviews and website findings.

21

Figure 3

Brand Strengths. Hersheys has positioned itself as a brand that brings and bonds people together through enjoyment of the product, which is one of the biggest strengths of the brand. Just hearing the word Hersheys was enough to evoke positive emotions from several of our participants, particularly the emotions of happiness and affection:

Hersheys makes me feel happy [Gretchen Judd, age 53].

22 He [Hersheys] would be my very best friend. He would be sweet and comforting, and I could always count on him to cheer me up when Im down [Nancy Baker, age 51, describing what Hersheys brand would be if it was a person].

This type of emotional connection between the consumer and the brand really demonstrates how strong the bond and loyalty is between them. Nearly all of the participants answered happy when asked how Hersheys made them feel in an open response question. Brand Weaknesses. Although Hersheys has resonated with the older population, during the past decade the chocolate market has been saturated with many different specialty and foreign brands. Most of these brands compete for a younger chocolate consumer. This has left the market with many different fragments to fight over. What used to be one chocolate market has been split up into many different kinds such as white, milk, and dark or German, Swiss, and Dutch. Hersheys has positioned itself to be a brand of chocolate that can be easily connected with any segment of chocolate consumer. However, it has lost its edge in the face of competition. Hersheys is developing its brand to become global and iconic. Its weakness is that it ignores the needs of each individual chocolate consumer, especially the younger consumer. This could hurt them in the next couple decades.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Hersheys chocolate is a world-renowned brand that has been around for over 100 years. However, with new advents in marketing and communication created every day, there are always areas for future research.

23 Although we have already covered Hersheys Facebook page, the ability to effectively use all forms of social media to create growth cannot be understated in todays world. Focusing future research on Hersheys involvement in social media and how effective it is would be a smart idea, as thousands of new users of social media are created every day. An in-depth analysis of social media platforms would be ideal to maximize Hersheys market share. When creating future questionnaires, researchers could set up two groups of interviewees, one being the control group and the other the variable group. The control group would have the Hersheys ad shown to them at the end of the questionnaire, and the variable group would be shown the ad at the beginning. This would enable researchers to see what effect Hersheys advertising has on individuals. During our interviews, we identified the female as the main purchaser of the household and decided to conduct all the interviews with older females in this role. However, one avenue that could be explored is the surveying of 18-24 year olds. According to Mintel Reports, they are the most likely to purchase chocolate (Mintel, 2010). As these individuals will be responsible for much of Hersheys future growth, it would be a wise avenue to pursue. This would allow the researcher to understand what the next generation of Hersheys purchasers wants in a product and how they will most likely communicate and react to the brand. Also, the timing of this study directly coincides with the holiday season. It would be interesting to find out what consumers are thinking during a time when seasonal foods such as chocolate arent on their mind and are not being advertised heavily. This survey could be conducted during the summer months and the findings would be compared in order to understand what Hersheys could do to better reach consumers during non-seasonal times of the year.

24 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS In our review of the Hersheys brand, we found many strengths that the brand has managed to capitalize on. These strengths include resonating with families and having a great community site where consumers can further connect with the Hersheys brand. However, there are always ways in which a brand can improve and strive towards perfection. Currently the Hersheys brand has a good position in the marketplace, but one way that Hersheys would be able to expand their presence is by introducing a mascot who can be included in television ads which are directed at children. This would introduce people to the Hersheys brand at a young age, and with the inviting mascot on the television, it would give children a motive to persuade their parents to purchase Hersheys. The expanded ad presence on television also ties into Hersheys communications strategy. If Hersheys would expand their advertising presence throughout the year to have a more even distribution of advertisements, they could create more opportunities for customers to remember and purchase the brand. The advertisements could suggest purchasing Hersheys not only for the major seasonal holidays but also for smaller occasions such as a birthdays. Hersheys could also use demographic information and market segmentation to successfully pinpoint holidays that are heavily practiced by certain ages or ethnic groups. This expanded approach would raise sales and raise the Hersheys brand in the mind of the consumer. Hersheys Facebook page is a great example of how a brand can leverage one part of the new frontier known as social media. The page is not manipulated in any way, so the negative comments are included with the positive. Also, Hersheys takes the time to respond to individuals posts if they have a specific question about the brand.

25 Hey Hershey! Can you post a recipe that involves a Hershey's candy bar as an ingredient? I tried looking up some recipes on the Hershey's website, but they were unavailable. I'm a Hershey's lover and just bought a 5lb Hershey's can bar and I'm trying to figure out some creative ways to use it. Woot! Woot! :D [Rose Vasquez, Facebook user] Hi Rose, thanks for reaching out to us! The Hershey's Kitchens Recipe website should be working fine now. You can visit http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/ and search by recipe type, occasion, or product. You may want to search by product and select "candy". Here is a recipe for Grab Bag Brownies which involves HERSHEY'S candy bars that you may want to try out. [Hersheys Facebook Fan Page]

While this Facebook page is a good start, Hersheys could expand their social media presence into Twitter, providing interesting facts and tidbits as an alternative to the Facebook page. They could also make use of Foursquare, a location-based social network, by partnering with certain grocery store or convenience store chains so that when a Foursquare user checks in on their cell phone, they can receive a discount on Hersheys chocolate.

REFERENCES "Fall 200 Product Candy/Sweets/Snacks." MRI+ Mediamark Internet Reporter database 2010, http://www.mriplus.com/ (accessed November 20, 2010). HERSHEYs. (n.d.). In Facebook [Fan page]. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from

26 http://www.facebook.com/#!/HERSHEYS Mintel. (2010). Seasonal Chocolate - US August 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2010 from Mintel Reports database. Product Launch Analytics. (n.d). Hershey's - Special Holiday Design Candy Bar - Cookies 'n' Crme. Retrieved from Datamonitor database. Product Launch Analytics. (n.d). Reese's - Peanut Butter Cups - Christmas Tree-Shaped. Retrieved from Datamonitor database.

1. 2. 3. 4.

APPENDIX A: INTERVIEW GUIDE Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? Why or why not? What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time (stocking stuffers, gifts)? Can you explain or list reasons why you buy these certain brands? A) Please tell me the most important characteristics of chocolate that matter to you when you buy it for others at Christmas?

27 B) Please tell me the most important characteristics of chocolate that matter to you when you buy it for yourself for Christmas? 5. A) What thoughts and feelings come to mind when you think about chocolate? B) What thoughts and feelings come to mind when you think about Hersheys? 6. When you hear the word Hersheys, what image comes to mind? 7. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? Elaborate. 8. What are three words that describe Hersheys? 9. A) Who do you think are Hersheys biggest competitors during the holiday season? B) What/Why do you think so? 10. Can you recall a Christmas advertisement from Hersheys? If so, which one? 11. How do you feel after viewing this commercial? Does it evoke any emotions? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HtSLF4vlrk&feature=related 12. Do you think that Hersheys is promoted and advertised well? Can you give me an example of an effective advertisement/promotion? 13. Please complete the following sentences. A) Hersheys makes me feel __________. B) I expect Hersheys______________. C) People buy Hersheys because ____________. D) I buy chocolate during Christmas because__________. Demographics Name: Age: Gender: Occupation: Ethnicity (check one): __Caucasian __African American __Pacific Islander __Hispanic(non-white) __Native American __Asian American __Other Total household income (check one): __$0-$8,375 __$8,376-$34,000 __$34,001-$82,400 __$82,401-$171,850 __$171,851-$363,650 __$363,651-above APPENDIX B: Summary of Interviews Interview Summary #1 a. Name: Nancy Baker b. Age: 51 c. Gender: Female d. Occupation: Middle School Teacher e. Ethnicity: Caucasian

28 f. g. Total Household Income: $171,851-$363,650 Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? Chocolate is very important for our holiday get-togethers. If I dont bring something chocolate, my family could get upset, so we have to have chocolate! Alsohow could Santa Claus not fill stockings with chocolate? I know my kids cant image their stockings without chocolate. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? Reeses peanut butter cups, Hersheys kisses, Snickers bars those are the favorites in our household If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? He would be my very best friend. He would be sweet and comforting, and I could always count on him to cheer me up when Im down. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Delicious, Mouth Watering, Kisses

h. i.

j.

Interview Summary #2 a. Name: Susan Anderson b. Age: 56 c. Gender: Female d. Occupation: School Teacher e. Ethnicity: Caucasian f. Total Household Income: $82,401-$171,850 g. Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? No, I dont think it is a crucial element of the holiday season because I dont use chocolate that much. h. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? I do always put chocolate in my childrens stockings and when I do, I usually use premium chocolate such as Lindt. i. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? Hersheys would be an older man with white hair, like a father or grandfather figure. j. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Delicious, Chocolate, Kisses Interview Summary #3 a. Name: Beverly Gunderson b. Age: 58 c. Gender: Female d. Occupation: Graphic Designer e. Ethnicity: Caucasian f. Total Household Income: $82,401-$171,850 g. Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? Yes, I do believe chocolate is an important part of the holiday season, because I always got it when I was a kid. h. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? My favorite chocolate brands are Marribou (Swedish) Lindt, and Hersheys. i. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? If Hersheys was a person he would be like Willy Wonka fun and entertaining j. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Delicious, Scrumptious, Luscious Interview Summary #4

29 a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. Name: Susan Johnson Age: 50 Gender: Female Occupation: Accountant Ethnicity: Caucasian Total Household Income: $171,851-$363,650 Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? I feel like it is a vital part of the season. My family eats a lot of chocolate on the holidays. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? I usually buy cheaper brands like Hersheys and M&Ms during the holidays. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? She would be a very plump, mother goose type personVery friendly and always smiling. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Rich, Chocolaty, Goodness.

Interview Summary #5 a. Name: Kim Williams b. Age: 47 c. Gender: Female d. Occupation: Pharmacist e. Ethnicity: Caucasian f. Total Household Income: $171,851-$363,650 g. Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? Yes, I have traditions of baking and cooking with chocolate with my daughter every holiday. h. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? I usually buy Godiva and Ghirardelli. i. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? If Hershey was person he would be like the Pillsbury dough boy. j. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Chocolate, yummy, and black Interview Summary #6 a. Name: Terri Crisp b. Age: 49 c. Gender: Female d. Occupation: Atlanta Division Controller for MCC e. Ethnicity: Caucasian f. Total Household Income: $82,401-$171,850 g. Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? Yes, chocolate is a very important part of the holiday season. It has always been a part of Christmas celebrations with the family- candy dishes with red, green, and silver kisses, also the Lindt truffles too. And for stocking stuffers too. Oh and of course advent calendars always use chocolates too. h. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? Hersheys, Lindt, Almond Joy (a Hersheys brand) i. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? An older woman like a grandmother. Warm and kind looking, gray hair, up in a bun. I guess maybe like Mrs. Claus

30 j. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Good everyday chocolate

Interview Summary #7 a. Name: Gretchen Judd b. Age: 53 c. Gender: Female d. Occupation: PT Management e. Ethnicity: Caucasian f. Total Household Income: $171,851-$363,650 g. Do you view chocolate to be an important/traditional part of the holiday season? Chocolate isnt necessarily important, but the family does like it so I do buy some for the holidays and some for stockings. h. What brands of chocolate do you buy around Christmas time? Herseys, Reeces i. If Hersheys was a person, what would he/she be like? Have no idea at all j. What are three words that describe Hersheys? Sweet, satisfying, chocolatey

APPENDIX C: Copy of Website Homepage http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/HERSHEYS

31

APPENDIX D: Copy of Hersheys Facebook Fan Page Posts

32