A) its the most godawful tasting chocolate on the planet

Many would concur. This may be one reason it doesn't fly outside the US.

But there is a silver lining. I think of Hershey's chocolate (and their cocoa and syrup for that matter) much as I think about Starbuck's coffee: it has an extremely distinctive taste. Many people think it is also a terrible taste, perhaps justifiably, but as with Starbucks' coffee it is definitely unique. Consequently, if you're habituated to it (or addicted to it), nothing else will do. There is a case to be made that this is a better market position than to be a commodity producer of something that's actually good.

The logical marketing strategy would be to get quantities into the hands of young consumers on a regular basis, so they get used to the oddness early on. Hallowe'en anyone?

As an aside, I tried some See's stuff once. Ghastly taste and presentation, and very badly done technically: the chocolate was not tempered correctly. But maybe if you grow up with it...

Jim

Berkshire Hathaway FAQ

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