Hershey’s and Reese’s went into Dig In Freshers welcome boxes in September 2024, before students’ first big shop. Students who received them answered a survey. 89.7% were likely to buy again (Hershey’s and Reese’s Freshers 2024 survey, n=3,381). For a confectionery brand, that is a taste in week one, while snack habits for the year are forming.
The brief
The Hershey Company wanted more UK students to try Reese’s and Hershey’s. The task was to get the product tasted early, ahead of the first supermarket shop.
What we did
We put Hershey’s and Reese’s samples into the Freshers 2024 welcome box, handed to students through their halls and campuses as they arrived. A survey then asked students who received the sample whether they were likely to buy again.
The result
89.7%
likely to buy again, among students who received the sample, n=3,381 survey responses, Freshers 2024
What it means for brands like yours
A snack brand that is new to students needs one thing first: a taste. The welcome box delivers that taste in a student’s first days at university, before the first big shop. The survey then tells you whether the taste turned into intent.
Questions
Did Reese’s sample to UK students?
Yes. Hershey’s and Reese’s went into Dig In’s Freshers 2024 welcome boxes, handed to students as they arrived at university.
What did students think of Hershey’s and Reese’s?
89.7% of students who received the sample were likely to buy again (Hershey’s and Reese’s Freshers 2024 survey, n=3,381).
Why sample confectionery at Freshers?
Students are choosing their own snacks for the first time. A sample in the welcome box is often tasted before they walk into a shop, so the brand is already known when they choose.