Reese’s & Hershey’s – Securing the Chocolate Market with Gen Z

The Challenge:

With fierce competition in the confectionery space, Reese’s and Hershey’s needed to maintain their position as the go-to chocolate brands for the next generation of shoppers—Gen Z. The challenge was twofold:

• Boost brand awareness among students, particularly those moving to university.
• Drive product trials and generate market feedback, while securing long-term loyalty and sales from the student demographic.

The Solution:

To strategically capture the student market, Reese’s and Hershey’s partnered with DigIn to sample their products in the Welcome Boxes for Freshers—targeting new university students as they settled into their new environments. The campaign involved sampling 450,000 Reese’s and 350,000 Hershey’s products, making sure both brands were well-positioned to become the chocolate choice for a new generation.

The Results:

• Data Insights: The campaign generated valuable consumer feedback with 2,555 survey respondents, providing critical insights into student preferences and purchasing behavior.
• Brand Exposure:
  • Reese’s was introduced to 202,500 students.
  • Hershey’s was introduced to 171,500 students.
    This extensive reach helped ensure both brands were top of mind for new university students.
• Sales Impact:
  • 91% of students who sampled the product indicated that they were likely to purchase Reese’s again, generating an estimated £511,875 in sales!
  • And the same rang true for Hershey’s, with 89% of students expressing the same intent to purchase driving an estimated £389,375 in sales.
• Widespread Sampling Reach: Over 800,000 product samples were delivered, ensuring both brands captured the attention of 80% of UK university students.

Conclusion:

The campaign successfully positioned Reese’s and Hershey’s as the brands of choice for university students, driving strong sales and securing brand loyalty among Gen Z. With extensive product sampling, targeted market feedback, and impressive conversion rates, the partnership with DigIn helped both brands not only gain brand awareness but also increase sales and foster a customer base that will continue to grow over the coming years.

Check out our other student sampling case studies at:

Grenade – Reaching Gen Z with Oreo Protein Bars

Nando’s – Engaging University Students with Perinaise

Coppafeel – Raising Awareness for Regular Self-Checks

Boots – Ensuring Students Choose Boots for Their Essentials

Nivea Soft – Building Brand Loyalty Among Gen Z

Liquid I.V. – Hydration for Gen Z in the UK

giffgaff and DigIn – Driving Year-on-Year Sign-Ups

Gillette and Venus University Razor Sampling Campaign