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  "description": "Growth opportunities, fearless innovation, and stronger industry collaboration will define the next chapter for confectionery, according to The Hershey Company President and CEO Kirk Tanner, speaking at the recent NCA State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC) in Florida",
  "path": "/hershey-ceo-kirk-tanner-fearless-innovation-unified-operations-and-industry-collaboration-will-shape-confectionerys-future/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-20T13:29:42.000Z",
  "site": "https://cocoaradar.com",
  "tags": [
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    "US Confectionery Sales Climb to $55 Billion in 2025, Bringing a Ray of Sunshine to Industry Execs Gathered in Florida for SOTICLast year was a strong one for US confectionery, as consumers responded to a cooling economy and job uncertainty by continuing to spend on chocolate, candy, gum, and mints – categories that remain firmly positioned as an ‘affordable treat’From The Desk of CocoaRadar™Anthony Myers",
    "CAA International Cocoa Conference",
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  ],
  "textContent": "From our desk to yours. DailyDaily.\n\n##  Join our growing community of members and receive a free version of our daily newsletter on what really matters in cocoa.\n\nNo spam. Unsubscribe anytime.\n\n\n        Subscribe\n        →\n\n\nIn a fireside conversation with moderator Mark Jeffries, Tanner outlined how Hershey is approaching innovation, consumer engagement, and policy advocacy at a time when both opportunities and challenges are reshaping the category.\n\n“The growth is the most energising — the opportunity,” Tanner said. “When you work on an idea and see it come to life on a shelf or digitally, you’re really proud of that.”\n\nAdvertisement\n\n\n\n\n\n### Building a Culture of Fearless Innovation\n\nCentral to Hershey’s strategy is cultivating a ‘fearless’ approach to innovation.\n\nRather than waiting for ‘perfect’ ideas, the company is encouraging faster experimentation and accepting that some innovations may not succeed immediately.\n\n“If something doesn’t work now, maybe it was just ahead of the curve,” Tanner noted, emphasising the importance of revisiting ideas as consumer trends evolve.\n\nInnovation is also expected to come from across the business — not just from R&D or marketing teams — with consumer obsession acting as the guiding principle.\n\nUnderstanding emotional connections — from everyday treats to gifting and celebrations — remains key to developing relevant products.\n\nUS Confectionery Sales Climb to $55 Billion in 2025, Bringing a Ray of Sunshine to Industry Execs Gathered in Florida for SOTICLast year was a strong one for US confectionery, as consumers responded to a cooling economy and job uncertainty by continuing to spend on chocolate, candy, gum, and mints – categories that remain firmly positioned as an ‘affordable treat’From The Desk of CocoaRadar™Anthony Myers\n\n### From Idea to Shelf: Demand, Commercialisation, Execution\n\nTanner described Hershey’s three-part approach to bringing innovation to market:\n\n**Demand creation.**\n\nInvesting in brands, digital engagement, and R&D to generate consumer pull.\n\n**Commercialisation.**\n\nWorking closely with retail partners to tailor innovations to specific shoppers and channels.\n\n**Execution.**\n\nEnsuring ideas come to life effectively in-store and across the digital shelf.\n\n“A strategy is just on paper until it’s executed in front of the shopper,” Tanner said.\n\n### Retail Collaboration and the Digital Opportunity\n\nRetail partnerships remain critical to unlocking growth. Hershey is increasingly co-creating with retailers — from store walkthroughs to joint planning — to ensure innovations resonate with shoppers.\n\nAt the same time, Tanner highlighted the digital shelf as a major frontier, particularly in recreating impulse purchases in online environments.\n\n### NEW: Hershey Unifies US Business Under ‘ONE Hershey’ Model\n\nIn a strategic update following SOTIC, Hershey announced a significant organisational shift designed to accelerate many of the priorities Tanner outlined on stage.\n\nThe company is unifying its US business under a new 'ONE Hershey' operating model to simplify its structure, increase agility, and improve execution across channels.\n\nThe move brings together previously distinct business units into a more integrated organisation, enabling:\n\n  * Faster decision-making and innovation cycles\n  * Stronger alignment across brands, categories, and customer teams\n  * Improved go-to-market execution, particularly in omnichannel environments\n  * Greater focus on consumer-centric growth opportunities\n\n\n\nThe reorganisation reflects a broader push to break down internal silos and better connect demand creation, commercialisation, and execution — the same framework Tanner emphasised during his SOTIC remarks.\n\nBy aligning teams more closely, Hershey aims to respond more quickly to evolving consumer behaviours, retailer needs, and digital commerce dynamics.\n\n### Advocacy and a Unified Industry Voice\n\nTanner also underscored the importance of government relations and industry advocacy, particularly around SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) policy.\n\n“SNAP is an instrument that works for the most vulnerable population in our very affluent country,” he said.\n\nHe cautioned that restricting candy purchases under SNAP would add complexity without improving nutrition outcomes.\n\n“Taking restrictions on SNAP for candy does not change nutrition.”\n\nMore broadly, Tanner called for stronger collaboration across the industry to address regulatory challenges and future disruptions.\n\n“When we work together, we can do great things,” he said.\n\n### A Category Built on Connection — and Now, Alignment\n\nDespite ongoing challenges, Tanner expressed confidence in confectionery’s resilience, citing affordability, innovation, and emotional connection as enduring strengths.\n\nThe newly announced **‘** ONE Hershey’ model reinforces that confidence — aligning the company’s internal structure with its external ambitions.\n\nTogether, a culture of fearless innovation, deeper retail collaboration, unified operations, and coordinated industry advocacy position Hershey — and the broader confectionery category — for sustained growth in the years ahead.\n\n* * *\n\n**cocoaradar.com is:**\n\n  * **Official Media Partner -** CAA International Cocoa Conference\n  * **'From Our Desk. To Yours. Daily'**\n  * Sign-up here**for free and choose your plan.**\n\n",
  "title": "Hershey CEO Kirk Tanner: Fearless Innovation, Unified Operations and Industry Collaboration Will Shape Confectionery’s Future",
  "updatedAt": "2026-03-30T09:27:11.278Z"
}