Hershey Pulls Content Due to Coronavirus

Timing is everything in marketing, and Hershey just proved that marketing fact once again. Sometimes timing works on your side, and sometimes it doesn’t. The key is to recognize it fast and then act fast.

Which is exactly what Hershey did this week when it pulled its new content featuring Bob Williams and Diggy Moreland handing out Hershey chocolates and hugging people, something that they are both known for doing. These two gentlemen are real people who do this on their own initiative, and Hershey picked up on it and turned them into brand ambassadors of sorts. So cute!

The problem is that the coronavirus has captured our collective hearts and minds at the moment, and it’s been all consuming. Hugging strangers isn’t necessarily a good idea at the moment. In fact as a society we’ve been encouraged to limit contact so as to limit the spread. It wouldn’t be appropriate for Hershey to encourage otherwise. Or at least that is the brand’s thinking.

For now, the brand has replaced the content with more product-centric messaging. Perhaps a safer route at the moment.

This is a very conscious move by Hershey, something I write about in my new book The Conscious Marketer. It’s important for brands to consider what is happening in the world around them, and act accordingly. Hershey is acutely aware of today’s public health concern, and is acting appropriately rather than just pushing ahead blindly. Well done. Hershey, you are a Conscious Marketer!

Agree? What’s your experience? JIM