Dive Brief:
- After hearing about the Washington Nationals' tradition of dumping chocolate syrup on the player whose bat wins the game, Hershey is making sure the team doesn't run out.
- Initially, the Pennsylvania-based brand sent 24 bottles last week, and then 108 were set to arrive Thursday after the Nationals' scored a walk-off homerun against the New York Yankees earlier in the week.
- There's no official partnership yet between the two brands, Hershey spokesperson Anna Lingeris told ESPN.com, but added that Hershey wants to make sure the MLB team always has enough chocolate syrup.
Dive Insight:
The relationship between the chocolatier and the Washington MLB team developed organically, Hershey's Lingeris explained when speaking to ESPN.com. Hershey identified a marketing opportunity with the Nationals, and the gesture of free syrup has generated a good deal of buzz for the brand, which recently posted an earnings drop.
Hershey reported a first quarter revenue and EPS miss in April, and decreased its full year guidance for 2015. The company also saw earnings decline year-over-year by 5.2%. Seeking Alpha points out slower-than-expected demand in China caused the slip, but also noted Hershey is still gaining market share in China and the U.S. Smart marketing stunts like treating the Nats' to syrup might be the key for combatting their slump.