No doubt, I am a brand loyalist when it comes to Brach’s Candy Corn. But, as a marketer, I am also interested in how Brach’s has grown into quite the brand leader. Each year, Brach’s sells 20 million pounds (just over 9,000 metric tons) of candy corn, enough to circle the earth 4.25 times if the kernels were laid end to end.
How Integrated Marketing Has Helped Make Brach’s King of the Corn
Because Brach’s started out using an integrated marketing approach in the 1940’s by way of billboards, women’s magazines and radio shows, it is no wonder that the brand has had so much success over the years. Both Halloween and Fall certainly bring Candy Corn to mind for consumers. Today, Brach’s integrated marketing efforts include everything from point-of-purchase screens to social media. YouTube alone has a plethora of videos showing not only recipes for Candy Corn, but examples of food connoisseurs devoting their entire segments to Candy Corn.
Everything you need to know about candy corn from Food Network’s Unwrapped.
The viral nature of the brand has also allowed consumers to express their own Candy Corn creations. Pinterest, for example, has numerous recipes and decoration ideas using Candy Corn. As of today, one Candy Corn board alone has been repinned 1,265 times.
Brach’s Candy Corn is also having tremendous success co-marketing with other family-friendly brand leaders, such as Oreos and M&M’s, by offering Candy Corn Oreos and M&M’s White Chocolate Candy Corn. By maintaining a consistent marketing strategy and staying true to their core value, Candy Corn will continue its stellar brand for years to come. Brach’s: We continue to be a leader in the very competitive confections and fruit snacks categories because we continue to provide great-tasting, high-quality products that provide fun for the entire family. And to that, I say, indeed they do.
As Director of Marketing Services for The Cirlot Agency, building brands, watching those brands unfold, take flight, and flourish among their audiences is by far one of the high points in my day-to-day activities. Brach’s has created a push-pull strategy for their Candy Corn that will continue to increase sales. Of course, I have no trouble helping those sales myself year to year. Do love that Corn!
For additional information on the early beginnings of Candy Corn, check out this video: http://www.history.com/videos/candy-corn#candy-corn
Happy Halloween, everyone!
Lisa Comer, Director of Marketing Services
