▶From 1900 until November 1969, Hershey maintained a fixed price of five cents for its chocolate bar, managing inflation by progressively reducing the bar's size.Apr 2026
▶In November 1969, Hershey simultaneously doubled the price of its chocolate bar to 10 cents and restored its size to its original 1.25 ounces.Apr 2026
▶The Hershey Company had a strict no-advertising policy until the 1970s, when it launched its first campaign in direct response to competitive pressure from Mars.Apr 2026
▶By 1969, Hershey's standard chocolate bar had been reduced to half of its original 1.25-ounce weight from 1900.Apr 2026
▶Hershey's market position is portrayed as both a near-monopolist that set the national taste for chocolate and as a primary wholesale supplier to over 40,000 regional candy makers in the 1920s, indicating a complex role as both a brand and an ingredient provider.Apr 2026
▶The relationship with Mars is shown to have evolved from a partnership, where Hershey supplied capital and chocolate for M&M's and Mars was its largest customer, to an intense rivalry that led to Hershey losing its number one market position in 1973.Apr 2026
▶Hershey's first advertising campaign in the 1970s is described as being initiated due to competitive pressure from Mars, but also as being prematurely halted after two years due to profit pressures from high commodity prices, showing conflicting external forces influencing its strategy.Apr 2026
▶While Hershey lost its position as the number one candy company in America to Mars in 1973, current claims suggest the two companies now hold nearly equal domestic market share at approximately 24% each, indicating a long-term market rebalancing.Apr 2026
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