A hybrid Hershey snack that debuted in the U.S. last year is now available north of the border, exclusively at Costco Canada.
Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers feature various fauna, like lions and bears, covered in peanut butter candy and half-dipped in milk chocolate, and is available while quantities last.
“When we were working on the launch of Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers, we found that the product proposition was really a perfect fit for the Costco channel,” explains Ola Machnowski, The Hershey Company’s head of marketing for Canada. “We know how important innovation is to Costco, with members always on the hunt for the most unique products, and the Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers are the perfect treasure-hunt treat.”
Machnowski says the Reese’s brand has a huge fanbase in the Canadian market, and it’s always eager to introduce new ways for consumers to enjoy Reese’s in different formats.
Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers is an innovation which first launched in the U.S., and Machnowski tells strategy that Hershey received hundreds of comments from consumers requesting to have the product available in Canada
Last fall, Hershey made candy aisle waves by rolling out its Reese’s Big Cup with Caramel to major grocers, backed by digital street art and a large shopper campaign.
There’s no retail/POS component for the Canadian rollout of Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers, but the brand shared samples of the product with select influencers across the country to help get the word out. Machnowski says consumer excitement has also driven a lot of organic awareness and trial.
Machnowski has told strategy that innovation is critically important to the confectionery category, and is key to the company’s growth strategy, with Reese’s in particular being ripe for innovation right now.
On July 11, Hershey announced it selected a newly created team, MiltonOne from Publicis, as the agency of record for the company’s U.S. candy, mint, gum, salty and protein business units. North of the border, the company works with agency partners FCB, UM Canada and Craft.
Packaging for Reese’s Dipped Animal Crackers was handled in-house.
