Betty Crocker rules the baking aisle, but when it comes to chocolate, there’s a much bigger name — Hershey’s.
Now, those two iconic brands are strengthening their partnership. In July, General Mills will launch more than a dozen supermarket products bearing Hershey’s brand names, which CEO Ken Powell officially unveiled during Wednesday’s earnings call.
In the cereal aisle, Big G is rolling out Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme, one of the new flavors that the Golden Valley food maker hopes will put its cereal division back on the growth path.
In the baking aisle, six Hershey’s/Betty Crocker baking mixes are coming, including dry mixes for chocolate-chunk cookies, s’mores-flavored cupcakes and Reese’s peanut-butter-and-chocolate cupcakes.
Not enough sweets? General Mills also is introducing six varieties of canned frosting, ranging from Hershey’s dark chocolate to a new Almond Joy flavor.
General Mills spokeswoman Julie Johnson said the two companies have partnered for years, on products ranging from brownie mix to Reese’s Puffs breakfast cereal. But this new alliance greatly expands that partnership.
“It’s a great relationship we want to keep building,” Johnson said.
General Mills tested the new products this spring with its Facebook fans, and the pairing drew a strong positive response — along with a series of user-generated recipes.
It also sponsored a 12-day truck tour of the East Coast, beginning at Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania, to give consumers a peek at the offerings.
Source: TwinCities.com
