NEW YORK – Consumer sentiments toward the The Hershey Co. are increasing, especially during Halloween—a holiday that is expected to garner nearly $3 billion of consumers’ candy dollars this year, according to the National Confectionery Association.
Hershey’s Reese’s brand is reaching more consumers during October and is poised to outperform its 2017 Halloween sales, according to research firm YouGov. On Oct. 8, 2017, 20% of U.S. consumers ages 18 and older reported seeing an advertisement for the chocolate peanut butter cups during the past two weeks, according to YouGov’s Plan & Track data. A year later, that number—the ad awareness score—has increased to 29%.
Consumers are also talking about Reese’s more often compared to last October. On Oct. 8, 2017, 14% of U.S. consumers ages 18 and older said they had mentioned the brand in conversation with a friend or family member during the previous two weeks. Today, that number is 17%.
Reese’s increased consumer engagement coincides with a higher purchase consideration score—a measurement of how likely shoppers are to purchase a brand—according to YouGov. This October, 37% of consumers ages 18 and older said they’d be open to buying Reese's, a 4% increase from this time last year.
Hershey’s general portfolio is also expected to see an increase this Halloween, YouGov said. The company’s current ad awareness score is 24%, which is a 4% increase from October 2017.
Earlier this month, the chocolatier gave consumers a sneak peek into its product assortment for Halloween, which features new treats such as Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Glow in the Dark, Kit Kat Dark Chocolate Snack Size and Twizzlers Pull‘n’Peel Candy Orange and Black Cherry Snack Size.
New York-based YouGov interviews more than 2.5 million consumers worldwide per year to track brands’ public perceptions. It operates at the national and international levels, allowing consumers to track brand perception in just one country, compare across multiple countries or monitor a global picture.
Photograph courtesy of YouGov
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.