The Hershey Company Activates Reese’s Through Experiential Dining
Ankit Desai – General Manager APAC, The Hershey Company – shares insights on the strategic use of experiential dining to activate Reese’s in the Australian market.
Reese’s, the beloved peanut butter and chocolate brand, is taking bold steps to transform its treat into an experience. In Sydney, Australia, Reese’s partnered with House Made Hospitality to launch a one-night-only ‘Reese’s-taurant’, reimagining its flavours with Chef Alex Wong at Grana Privato – located on the top floor of Hinchcliff House in Circular Quay.
General Manager of the APAC region at The Hershey Company (Reese’s parent entity) – Ankit Desai – shares the strategic vision behind this step into experiential dining. From ball pits to Kangaroo ‘mole’ empanadas, Desai reveals how Reese’s aims to capture Australian hearts — and appetites — while building a blueprint for global growth, one peanut butter cup at a time.
Interview with Ankit Desai, The Hershey Company
What inspired the collaboration with House Made Hospitality – talk me through the strategic decision to partner with on-premise hospitality?
Reese’s is an iconic, global brand. We wanted to create an unforgettable experience for our Australian Reese’s fans, nodding to our recently extended range in supermarkets, petrol and convenience stores throughout Australia. Australians love their food – from café to fine dining – and with House Made Hospitality, we found a uniquely creative partner to deliver something ‘nut’ to be missed. True to the ‘Anything But Ordinary’ experience for Reese’s lovers – new and old – down under, that created a huge digital footprint right before Halloween!
The Reese’s brand is iconic in the US market. What has made Australia an attractive market for expansion?
Aussies have embraced Reese’s product with open arms; they truly enjoy the unique salty-sweet peanut butter and chocolate combination. This past year, we’ve ramped up our retail offering, making it easier than ever for Australians to head into their local supermarket, petrol or convenience stores to pick up their Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, White Cups, various bars or share packs.
How does an immersive, experiential dining format like this align with Hershey’s broader marketing objectives? Does it signify a shift towards experiential marketing in international markets?
Reese’s –isn’t just about products, they’re about creating moments that resonate with consumers. Fans of the Reese’s brand want to experience the brand in unique, creative and contemporary ways. The Reese’s-taurant provided a truly ‘Instagramable’ and immersive experience for our brand fans to dive into the orange world of Reese’s – literally, they could dive into a Reese’s cup ball pit!
In creating this dining experience around Reese’s flavours, what insights guided Alex Wong in his innovative menu? What does this approach say about Reese’s brand identity in Australia?
Alex is a fantastic creator and collaborator! He tasted each of the key Reese’s chocolate products, dug out his notebook and started writing down what inspired him. Alex is known for creating brilliant Asian and Italian dishes that are Anything But Ordinary, so we were thrilled to see him come up with uniquely tantalising dishes for The Reese’s-taurant, like the Girella Raviolo with pumpkin featuring Reese’s White Cups, sage and gorgonzola, or Kangaroo ‘mole’ empanadas that featured emulsified Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.
The Reese’s-taurant was designed as a one-night-only event for consumers but hints at future extensions. What factors will determine whether this collaboration will continue and how might the concept evolve if it proves successful?
The Reese’s-taurant was a strategic experience designed to excite consumers and gauge interest, but the overwhelming love it received suggests strong potential for scaling up in future partnerships. This activation allowed us to identify what aspects of the experience resonate most with our audience, opening doors for proactive outreach from external partners interested in creating similar unique experiences with us. As we assess the long-term impact of expanding The Reese’s-taurant concept, we’re excited to explore how it might evolve.
This interview has been edited for clarity and consistency.
