Candy Everybody Wants: Sports Sponsorships A Powerful Differentiator For Reese's

In candy, the most impulse-driven consumer-products category, sports has been a powerful differentiator for Reese's. Beginning in '08, The Hershey Co. began with an NCAA rights deal. It has since multiplied that investment by adding sponsorships, including ESPN's "College GameDay" and the CFP. "We are not autos, beer or insurance, but (relatively) smaller brands can make an impact in sports if they are focused," said The Hershey Co. Dir of Promotions & Planning Drew Iddings during a presentation at the ’15 Intersport Brand Engagement Summit. Reese's uses its various collegiate sports rights both to stimulate consumer demand and to generate incremental retail display, which is critical in a category where 42% of purchases are made by consumers who did not enter a store intending to buy candy. "We are the highest-impulse category in every channel," Iddings said. "We have one job -- to make sure people see candy."