3. Create Buzz with Branded Items
Playing off the popularity of the Hershey Gold candy bar, 7-Eleven launched its Hershey Gold Caramelized Cappuccino earlier this year. The strategy caters to more than half of Gen Z and millennials, who are more likely to order an item with branded ingredients they recognize. Co-branding does more than lift impulse purchases; it can also drive repeat customers. About 70% of Gen Zers are likely to return to a restaurant where they have eaten a Hershey-branded dessert to order another, and more than half believe a dessert is higher quality if it has Hershey ingredients, said the report.
“This research is great news for foodservice operators,” said Darren Belnavis, chef for Hershey, Pa.-based Hershey Foodservice. “There are so many ways to offer on-trend beverages, snacks, desserts and craft cocktails featuring branded Hershey ingredients. For example, operators can create smoothies or indulgent milkshakes with Instagrammable ingredients, offer shareable desserts that allow patrons to taste more than one brand and are portable to take on the go for a midafternoon snack.”