Pearson’s Candy Company presses refresh on Minnesota’s sweetest candy legacy

“If you aren’t willing to innovate and push, you will go away,” said Joe Driscoll, chief executive officer of Pearson’s Candy Company, and our new Tunheim client, in a recent article published by the Star Tribune.

And that’s just what Pearson’s has set out to do in 2019 and beyond – innovate and push to build upon the beloved Pearson’s brand, while creating new candy formats, updating branding and building a social media presence to engage a broader audience.

So, why update a brand when it is already cherished by a loyal customer base? Let’s take a look.
You’ve probably heard of the Salted Nut Roll, Bit-O-Honey, Nut Goodie and Mint Patties, and probably know someone who loves them. Maybe it’s your grandpa or grandma, your mom or dad, uncle or aunt, or maybe it’s even you.

The two things all these candies have in common is that they are crafted by Pearson’s Candy Company and they are adored by a longtime customer base of men and women ages 55 years and older.

With a 110-year legacy in Minnesota, it’s no surprise that Pearson’s most loyal customer base has consistently been those who have grown up loving and enjoying the candy; but, in order to grow and build a brand for the long haul, it was time for Pearson’s to evolve its brand to gain stock amongst a younger audience – one that appreciates the retro and cool, but not the dated.

Following the change in leadership last year, Pearson’s Candy Company stepped into 2019 ready to build upon the longstanding Minnesota candy company. To do so, the company has embraced the brand’s retro factor and has built a plan to take each candy to the next level. The plan includes new marketing strategies and new product formats to meet consumer demands and reach a new customer base in ways that Pearson’s has never done before.

Recently, Tunheim has partnered with Pearson’s to help tell its story, by creating storytelling approaches to reach new and existing audiences focusing on the future of the Minnesota candy legacy and the innovation to come. Our first assignment: Halloween! We teamed up with Pearson’s to share its suite of tasty candy and grow the buzz surrounding the exciting plans to come in 2019, 2020 and beyond.

“Pearson’s is undertaking the huge task of keeping their current, faithful customers happy while also innovating for the future – a challenge that so many businesses are eventually faced with,” said Tunheim’s Director of Media Lou Ann Olson. “Our Tunheim team is partnering with Pearson’s to communicate with all of its stakeholders – both new and legacy – so that they feel a part of Pearson’s unique vision for the future.”

Read more about Pearson’s CEO Joe Driscoll, the company’s vision for the future and the new product that will be available on shelves in late November in the Star Tribune article, here.

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