Let's take a look at the top favorite chocolate brands that Americans prefer. We won't get the breakdown of all 50 states but here are the most popular choices across the country.
The Top Ten:
1. Snickers
2. M&Ms
3. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
4. Hershey's
5. Kit Kat
6. Twix
7. 3 Musketeers
8. Milky Way
9. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Crème
10. Almond Joy
Snickers
A brand being worth more than $2 billion, Snickers is ranked as the number one chocolate in the country. It combines everything you need, chocolate, peanut and caramel which appeals to various tastes and age ranges. They are renown as a chocolate bar that solves hunger, which was a major product differentiator during the time of the brand's introduction. A supermarket consultant claims, "What snickers did really intelligently was position itself as being satisfying and really separating itself out as not being a candy bar, but more nourishing, more of a food (Byrson & York, 2010) ".
M&M's
M&M's comes in at a close second. These brightly colored chocolates are a popular choice amongst young and adventurous chocolate lovers but also people in various groups. The mix of their mascots and humans create a personal relationship between the customer and the product. M&M's released a Super Bowl commercial starring Danny Devito in which he personifies an M&M, giving us the perspective of an M&M with a transferred personality. This creates a humanized connection that makes us feel closer and more connected to the brand.
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups is definitely an American preference due to the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. Linthicums states that, "Reese's will always be in a tight spot due to its producer Hershey, because it has 'less of a global footprint than Mars…and peanut putter is not as popular in Europe as it is in the States. It is uniquely a American thing (Byrson & York, 2010)". Apart from their USP as being pioneers in peanut butter, another strength includes that Reese's is an easily recognizable brand due to it's popping orange color that shoppers can identify within the store.
The Hershey and MARS brands produce every one of these chocolates amongst the top ten and are rivaling competitors. However, Mars is the leading number one selling company in the chocolate industry with its infamous chocolates being a favorite worldwide.
Kit Kats
Kit Kats surprisingly come in at fifth place. While this brand is mainly known for it's limited editions abroad (such as in Japan where there are more than 40 flavors available), in the US
we find the appeal in the size varieties, such as mini two or four finger Kit Kats. Thanks to their infamous tagline 'Give me a break', Kit Kats have a strong brand awareness and is easy to recall by consumers.
Twix
The Twix bar is a popular choice and personal favorite of my own. I tend to gravitate towards this chocolate because the packaging is so unique and it is easiest to identify amongst other brands. It is very distinctive in the product display and I find the design quite trendy. Twix
appears as a premium brand but is sold at a reasonable price.
As an American myself, I would like to claim that the remaining chocolates are in their well deserved rankings. Overall, these are all iconic brands that American consumers all know and love.
Cited Sources:
Picture: America's Favorite Halloween Candy State By State. (n.d.). https://www.influenster.com/article/americas-favorite-halloween-candy-state-by-state
Bryson, E., & York, E. B. (2010, March 29). Snickers Uses Humor to Satisfy Generations of Hunger. https://adage.com/article/special-report-80-years-of-ideas/snickers-humor-satisfy-generations-hunger/142993/
(n.d.). https://www.rankingthebrands.com/The-Brand-Rankings.aspx?rankingID=240&nav=industry