Dive Brief:
- Hershey's Reese's caused quite a stir on social media with its seasonal peanut butter trees — and the company playfully answered consumers' complaints.
- The brand decided to make a statement about "tree shaming," calling all trees beautiful with the simple hashtag: #AllTreesAreBeautiful.
- The tree-shaped peanut butter treats have been available since 1993.
Dive Insight:
Woke up like this. #ThankYou #AllTreesAreBeautiful pic.twitter.com/rbvgWqqXup
— REESE'S (@ReesesPBCups) December 3, 2015
The campaign proved a clever way for Hershey to bank on extra media attention during the holiday season by changing the conversation. Initially, the product's extra attention alone was good news for the company.
Comments about the product included: "What part of this looks like a Christmas tree?" Whether it looks like a tree is now, obviously, out of the debate.
Social media is a consistently effective way to communicate with consumers, like with Coca-Cola's interactive "Share A Coke" campaign. Brands like Coca-Cola, Mondelez, and Chobani have been looking to rising social media outlet Snapchat for marketing opportunities.