In-Depth
The Gatekeepers: David Palmer
Director of partnership marketing and planning, The Hershey Co.
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mid the Summer Olympics, consumers may have seen tongue-in-cheek creative from Jolly Rancher on social media or more emotional advertising from Hershey’s on television around the Games.
The Hershey Co., North America’s largest chocolate manufacturer and parent company of numerous chocolate and candy brands, signed a deal with the USOC through 2020 worth low seven figures annually that is a major focus
this summer for its sports marketing.
The company’s sports marketing ethos revolves around setting a different tone depending on the brand, while aligning with properties the company deems iconic to underscore its history, which stretches back to 1894.
The Olympics are a prime example for Hershey, whose brands also have deals with the NCAA (Reese’s) and the NHL (Hershey in Canada). With Jolly Rancher, the creative is more lighthearted; the company’s marquee Hershey’s chocolate bar brand wants to pull on consumers’ heartstrings.
“As I work with each brand to figure out where they should partner and how to bring it to life, it really comes back to, what’s the brand strategy, brand equity, the brand’s beliefs or characters, and quite frankly their point of view?” said Hershey’s David Palmer. “As you think about Team USA and Hershey’s as a company with its iconic brands, there’s a natural equity fit there of the iconic American brands and how they can come together.”
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| Photo by: Hershey |
Palmer likes to think of Reese’s NCAA deal, which started in 2009, as another example.
“What we know from research is even when folks were snacking during sporting events, Reese’s had a role in that,” Palmer said. “So there is that natural bit of strategy.”
Ultimately, the goal is to speak to a given brand’s consumers in whatever way will give them the best connection.
“Any time you can make an emotional connection with your consumer and your brand can make an emotional connection, that’s obviously very important and something we strive to do as we’re telling a story,” Palmer said.
Adam Stern writes for sister publication SportsBusiness Daily.
■ A TREND HE’S WATCHING: “As I think about sponsorships in general and where they need to move to, it’s really about trying to develop and bring more content — and it has to be engaging and relevant to our consumers and the consumers of the properties we’ve partnered with. So people say social and digital, but as we all know, those are mediums and mediums that require good content, so that’s the key for me.”
■ A RECENT PROGRAM/CAMPAIGN THAT WORKED: “I would highlight the Hershey’s brand and their Hello from Home campaign, where we’ve done several athlete sponsorships and several commercials for TV and in digital and our continued outreach to really make that connection and quite frankly try to bring a touch of home to the athletes as they’re traveling in Rio. I think from a holistic platform, it feels really good and touches on multiple emotional triggers and really helps leverage that partnership with the athletes and Team USA.”
