Hershey tries luck on lottery promotion

HERSHEY, Pa. Lottery players in such states as Illinois, South Dakota, Idaho, Washington and Delaware will soon be able to try their luck on games like “Kisses & Cash,” and “Hugs & Kisses.”

The Hershey Co. recently reached a licensing agreement with Atlanta-based MDI Entertainment to offer Hershey-branded lottery tickets. The company believes the pairing of the Hershey brand with instant lottery tickets is a natural fit. “Hershey’s goal is to be everywhere our customers are,” said Kirk Saville, spokesman for Hershey. “This partnership represents a powerful way to extend our brands and reach our customers.”

Additionally, the demographics of people who buy lottery tickets and the outlets where they are sold fit well with the consumers who buy Hershey products, he said. As MDI is focused soley on Hershey, the company won’t have to worry about competing with other candy makers in the field while for MDI, the licensing agreement presents an opportunity to develop a stand-out product in what has become a competitive business. The agreement also lends itself to a marketing strategy.

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is the most popular candy bar in the world,” Steve Saferin, president of MDI and Scientific Games, said. “You don’t need to do much more than put them on a ticket and use that as a way to support a branding strategy, as well as Hershey.”