The Hershey Company showcased during the Sweets & Snacks Expo a diverse lineup of product launches across legacy brands and new acquisitions – each reflecting a strategy centered on dual flavor profiles, authentic brand partnerships and expansion across different aisles.
Reese’s: Fans first
Reese’s, Hershey’s top-selling brand, continues to lead with innovation that stays close to its peanut butter core, explained Lindsey McCabe, senior brand manager at The Hershey Company.
“From an R&D and ingredient perspective, we keep our peanut butter formulation the same throughout. So, our differentiation is the peanut butter filling and what sets us apart, not only from our competitors, but what keeps the Reese’s portfolio consistent,” said McCabe.
That consistency allows Hershey to explore new flavor and texture variations without compromising brand familiarity for Reese’s line extensions like Chocolate Lava Cup, Carmel Big Cup and the PB&J Cup with grape or strawberry jelly, she said.
The PB&J Cup is an example of how Hershey responds to consumer demand.
“Reese’s fans have been asking for a PB&J cup for years, and while we have been working on this innovation for the last two years, we really knew it was going to be a success because it is something that has been long awaited,” said McCabe.
She noted that Reese’s innovation strategy also relies on identifying gaps in the market.
“It is ‘what do our Reese’s consumers really want? What’s missing in the marketplace that our iconic peanut butter can bring to fill the gap?’”
A flexible approach to limited time offerings (LTO)
Not all innovations are meant to stay – unless they prove themselves, McCabe said.
“We have specific seasons or need periods where we launch a permanent flavor or an LTO,” McCabe said. “There have been some cases where we have seen such great demand with an LTO that we brought it back as permanent, either through the sales data or as a retailer request.”
Jumbo Cup is one example, which was launched as an LTO last summer and is returning again as an LTO this summer due to retailer demand, McCabe added.
Cross-category play: Salty, sweet and social
The company is expanding its salty snacks portfolio with acquisitions like Dot’s Pretzels, Pirate’s Booty and its intent to acquire better-for-you snack brand LesserEvil.
These acquisitions allow the company to “really lean into different aisle shopping and make sure we’re providing snacking options for every type of consumer,” said McCabe.
Hershey is looking to celebrity partnerships to shape emerging brands. The Shaq-A-Licious gummy line, developed in partnership with basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, is one example of a fully hands-on celebrity collaboration, she said.
“He collaborated on every single one of our products, from the shapes to the flavor profiles. He promotes it as much as he can,” McCabe said. “He calls our marketing manager all the time with ideas — ‘We gotta go do this right now.’”
Youth-focused collaborations: Cinnamon Toast Crunch Kisses
To reconnect with younger consumers, Hershey leaned into co-branded innovation with snack and cereal maker General Mills. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Kisses began as a retailer exclusive, but quickly expanded to a nationwide rollout, McCabe said.
“We were losing share with our younger consumer,” said McCabe. “A great way to get that penetration back is to bring in a collaboration with such a well-known and still very highly consumed cereal.”
She added: “The talkability and awareness of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, in my opinion, was our best performing innovation this year,” as the product was “outpacing the sell-through predictions.”
Younger shoppers also drove the focus on texture, which features crunchy bits of the cereal.
“It has a really nice textural component to it, which we have been seeing a lot of younger consumers enjoy. They like textural experiences,” she added.
Why buy a brand you could compete with?
When asked why Hershey acquired Sour Strips – a direct-to-consumer gummy brand in 2024 despite having legacy products, like Jolly Rancher Gummies, McCabe pointed to Founder Max Chewning’s grassroots marketing.
“Max, who’s the owner, built the whole entire brand from the ground up on social media. It’s all organic,” she said, adding that the brand’s popularity was key to diversifying Hershey’s gummy portfolio.
For Hershey, the plan is to scale his operation using its retail muscle. “In the next year, we are focused on taking his marketing strategy, learning from it, and allowing our expertise to scale the business.”
Nostalgia meets function: Bubble Yum’s refresh
In keeping with the theme of revitalizing nostalgic brands, Hershey’s gave Bubble Yum a modern twist with a stand-up pouch.
“Chewing gum in general, especially big fruity gums, are popular among young consumers again,” McCabe said. “All we’re doing is innovating in a new pack type by providing a shareable pouch which is resealable. Kids can throw it in their backpacks. Families can share it.”
The brand’s mascot Floyd D. Duck remains on the front of the packaging along with Bubble Yum written out in the same font as it was in the 1990s.
