Hershey has joined hands with Ocean Spray on a line of fruit dipped in chocolate, such as Milk Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Bites and Dark Chocolate Dipped Cherry Infused Cranberry Bites.
The multi-serve resealable pouches are being touted for their versatility, including as a family snack, an addition to trail mix, or to sprinkle on top of ice cream. It also brings two unique taste profiles together: the tartness of the cranberry and the sweetness of the Hershey chocolate. As consumers toggle between better-for-you eating and indulgence, the chocolate-covered cranberry bites could quickly resonate with shoppers.
The partnership between Ocean Spray and Hershey is the latest move by companies to bring their unique strengths together through a licencing deal. In this case, Ocean Spray is licencing the Hershey brand.
Few companies are as synonymous in their respective categories as Ocean Spray is with cranberries and Hershey is with chocolate.
“We are excited by this partnership and the extension of our iconic Hershey’s brand into new snacking occasions,” said Ernie Savo, who heads licencing at Hershey. And Ocean Spray, an agricultural cooperative with about 700 farmer families, has been actively expanding its portfolio in recent years under the leadership of Tom Hayes, the former CEO of Tyson Foods.
Ocean Spray’s cranberries are used in over a thousand products across more than 100 countries worldwide.
The partnership with Hershey brings a valuable brand to Ocean Spray that gives the new cranberry bites further recognition in the marketplace.