Hershey has benefited from a series of strategic acquisitions and new product introductions over the years, but in 2007 the company’s management became concerned that growth was beginning to slow. With key competitors involved in merger talks – Mars and Wrigley in 2008, and Kraft acquiring Cadbury in 2010 – identifying unmet consumer demand took on added importance. With long-term sustainable growth as its goal, Hershey turned to The Cambridge Group, a division of Nielsen, to bring a game-changing approach to its “go to market” strategy.