Valentine's Day 2013 will be here next Thursday, February 14, and with it will come an annual surge in chocolate sales. In the U.S. alone, more than $1 billion is spent on Valentine's Day chocolate, while global spending is estimated at an astronomical $14 billion. As consumers prepare for the holiday, food retailers must ask themselves — which chocolate brands are lovebirds going to snatch up?
NetBase, an Enterprise Social Intelligence Platform company, has just released its latest Brand Passion Index for Valentine's Day. By tracking social media, NetBase evaluated eight brands of chocolate based on overall feelings towards the brand (Net Sentiment), the intensity of those feelings (Passion Intensity) and the amount of conversations being had about the brand.
While Hershey's was the most talked about brand (30% of overall chatter), the American chocolate powerhouse had the lowest Passion Intensity score (45) and the second lowest Net Sentiment score (68). On the flip side, Ferrero Rocher didn't have much buzz (1.3% of overall chatter) but received a perfect Passion Intensity score (100) and the highest Net Sentiment score (87).
(Image credit: NetBase)
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