SITUATION
Hershey's was on shaky ground in 2020. Gen Z was moving toward healthier lifestyles, and our primary TG, Moms of Kids (MOK), weren't enthusiastic about chocolate either. Chocolate had no natural home in the daily routine, and the brand was losing cultural relevance before COVID hit. Then lockdown. And suddenly, families were stuck at home, bored, and cooking together. We asked, "How do we anchor ourselves and solve consumer painpoints, without disappearing the moment lockdowns lifted?"
Hershey's was on shaky ground in 2020. Gen Z was moving toward healthier lifestyles, and our primary TG, Moms of Kids (MOK), weren't enthusiastic about chocolate either. Chocolate had no natural home in the daily routine, and the brand was losing cultural relevance before COVID hit. Then lockdown. And suddenly, families were stuck at home, bored, and cooking together. We asked, "How do we anchor ourselves and solve consumer painpoints, without disappearing the moment lockdowns lifted?"
TASK
Give Hershey's a legitimate, recurring role in family life. Resolve the core tension: how does a chocolate brand become something a mom reaches for? Build a platform elastic enough to expand across the full product range and outlast the trend that amplified it.
ACTION
Built #HappyAtHome around a single consumer insight - Families cooking together is one of the few occasions where indulgence becomes an act of care. That reframe moved Hershey's from 'chocolate brand' to 'the ingredient that makes cooking together feel special.' Partnered with celebrity chef Ranveer Brar and mini influencers and community voices to develop 100+ recipes using Hershey's syrups, spreads, and cocoa powder, covering five audience-specific content buckets: Quick Breakfast, Nutritious Recipes, Cake N' Bake, Summer Coolers, and Weekend Indulgence. Each dayparted, targeted to the right person at the right moment, and closed the purchase loop with 6-second films to retarget recipe viewers with 'add-to-cart' functionality on Amazon. Built a YouTube cooklist of 100+ recipe videos and a recipe library, moved to Hersheyland as a permanent, always-on brand asset.
RESULT
+34% baking category sales lift. 2M+ users, 15M video views, 60M impressions. 10K customers shared their own recipes. +9% brand awareness. +11% purchase intent. 1500+ organic press stories. Happy at Home became a permanent brand property - category expansion driven by a single content system.
Give Hershey's a legitimate, recurring role in family life. Resolve the core tension: how does a chocolate brand become something a mom reaches for? Build a platform elastic enough to expand across the full product range and outlast the trend that amplified it.
ACTION
Built #HappyAtHome around a single consumer insight - Families cooking together is one of the few occasions where indulgence becomes an act of care. That reframe moved Hershey's from 'chocolate brand' to 'the ingredient that makes cooking together feel special.' Partnered with celebrity chef Ranveer Brar and mini influencers and community voices to develop 100+ recipes using Hershey's syrups, spreads, and cocoa powder, covering five audience-specific content buckets: Quick Breakfast, Nutritious Recipes, Cake N' Bake, Summer Coolers, and Weekend Indulgence. Each dayparted, targeted to the right person at the right moment, and closed the purchase loop with 6-second films to retarget recipe viewers with 'add-to-cart' functionality on Amazon. Built a YouTube cooklist of 100+ recipe videos and a recipe library, moved to Hersheyland as a permanent, always-on brand asset.
RESULT
+34% baking category sales lift. 2M+ users, 15M video views, 60M impressions. 10K customers shared their own recipes. +9% brand awareness. +11% purchase intent. 1500+ organic press stories. Happy at Home became a permanent brand property - category expansion driven by a single content system.
