Hershey Case

Introduction

On April 17, 1897, the first sale of what was then known as the Hershey Chocolate Corporation was made. From this point forward, Milton S. Hershey worked diligently to establish the Hershey legacy that is now known around the world. However, Milton S. Hershey did not stop at merely founding a quality chocolate company. The extraordinary and acute businessman also built a company town that was unlike those of that era. The town boasted a pool, various stores, amusement rides, a park, a hotel that mirrored those overseas, and houses that each varied in design in order to make the streets resemble those of a real town. Hershey, Pennsylvania, the home place of this inspiring company, remains a popular tourist attraction as people flock to learn about the company history, see the delightful Hershey Kisses street lights, and of course taste the chocolate.

The product that helped form the Hershey legacy is the delectable Hershey’s milk chocolate bar. This delightful candy bar is composed of creamy milk chocolate and can effortlessly be broken into 12 rectangular, bite sized pieces. This carefully crafted candy bar has withstood over 100 years and remains one of The Hershey Company’s leading products. The purpose of this report is to analyze the marketing strategy employed by The Hershey Company to promote Hershey’s famous milk chocolate bar. The body of this paper will first describe the product and establish the target market. Following this, the marketing mix will analyzed along with the environment, opportunities, and the behavioral dimensions of the milk chocolate bar.

Product and Marketing Description

Overall, The Hershey Company provides both goods and services. However, the Hershey’s milk chocolate bar is merely a good. The company has chosen to target six different homogeneous within segments that range from “loyal indulgers” to “detached occasionalists” (Beinre, 2008). The Hershey Company realized that not all of the good’s consumers are loyal to the Hershey product. Thus, each segment must be reached using a varying target strategy. The Hershey’s milk chocolate bar is influenced by several demographic features such as age, family size, gender, and family life cycle. The Hershey Company targets all ages. Yet, most commercials primarily target children and women of all ages. Also, the company targets married families, families with children, and singles. The women are frequently targeted because this group is a frequent consumer of these products for both individual use and gifts for children and friends. In conjunction, the qualifying dimensions are the milk chocolate bar’s quality taste. The determining dimensions that influence the target market is primarily the consumer’s relationship to the product. For example, is the customer a loyal consumer or do the consumers purchase the good only on a mere whim. The target