It’s been quite a journey for Hostess, the maker of iconic brands like Twinkies and Ding Dongs.
When the company said it would go bankrupt in 2012, fans practically broke down in tears. Then when in 2013 it was rescued by two investment firms the tears began to dry up. Now back in the driver’s seat as a leader in the snack and treat category, Hostess is targeting Millennials and is frosting its marketing with all kinds of sweetness on social to contemporize the brand.
Here, Burke Raine, the CMO, now into his 16th month on the job, spoke with CMO.com about reaching new, younger consumers, the latest product innovations (peanut butter HoHo anyone)—and putting the perception that Twinkies went off the market never to return behind him.
Raine says that social media is at the top of the marketing tool box and that creating a social dialogue driven, in part, by giveaways and other promotions, is what’s driving a lot of the engagement. He also shares the industry’s biggest challenges as well as a sneak peek at what’s breaking this summer. Read the article …
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