Candy Brands’ Halloween Tactics Much More Than Hocus-Pocus

As Halloween creeps closer, there’s an important topic that becomes top of mind for trick-or-treaters and marketers alike—candy. For candy brands, the spooky season brings a crucial sales period that demands creative strategies to stand out from the rest in an always-competitive category. Keep reading to learn about the current marketing tactics candy brands are using to reach consumers this Halloween.

Sweet Insights Informing Campaigns

Candy sales experience an annual surge in the weeks leading up to Halloween, but in 2022 many candy brands started their promotions in mid-September—slightly earlier than usual. According to Levi Tworek, Sales Director at Quotient, the higher cost of goods prompted candy brands to limit their forecasting to guard against the risk of post-holiday overstocks. As a result, consumers might be faced with a limited candy supply, which is why many brands encouraged consumers to stock up early this year.

“Halloween is one of the biggest—if not the biggest—seasons for candy brands. The main goal for brands is to gain household penetration, but they also want to drive more trips and build more extensive baskets.”

LEVI TWOREK, SALES DIRECTOR AT QUOTIENT

Candy brands’ seasonal marketing efforts usually lead with their core products, but it’s also a chance to celebrate with Halloween-themed novelties and multipacks—think jack-o’-lantern-shaped chocolates and limited-edition pumpkin flavors. When brands introduce product variants like these, it can help attract new brand buyers and drive trial as well as being great fun for candy fans. 

Tactics to Reach Candy Lovers

This Halloween, as consumers continue to return to more traditional holiday celebrations, brands are focusing on reaching consumers at the point of purchase. Tworek explained how brands work with retailers to secure seasonal merchandising displays that will help them stand out at the shelf when consumers come looking for Halloween candy.

To drive trial and buy rate, many brands committed marketing dollars to duration-based national promotions, making it easier to coordinate in-store merchandising efforts with a promotion over a set time period. Brands also targeted consumers with bolder holiday messaging this season, which, according to Tworek, is all about giving Halloween shoppers confidence that “this is the candy brand that trick-or-treaters want.”

Feeling inspired by these insights? Contact us today at hello@quotient.com to start developing an omnichannel strategy for Halloween and beyond.