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The Hershey Company is beginning to see tangible results from its new ‘Take the Taste With You’ platform, as early activations across major airport hubs translate refreshed branding into stronger engagement and improved sell-out.

First unveiled to the trade at the 2025 TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes, the platform represents a significant step in Hershey’s wider corporate brand evolution. Built around a unifying call to action, ‘Take the Taste With You’, it is designed to connect with younger shoppers through moments of indulgence, gifting and simple delight – a natural fit for the travel retail environment.

In airports, however, strong creative alone is not enough. With compressed dwell times, crowded shelves and multiple distractions, the challenge is to convert visibility into action. According to Ahmad Nasser, General Manager Middle East and Africa, and World Travel Retail, the platform was conceived with exactly that in mind.

“Travel retail demands brand platforms that can operate at scale while remaining effective in highly compressed shopping environments. ‘Take the Taste With You’ was developed to provide that balance, enabling consistent global expression alongside locally relevant execution. The early performance we are seeing across markets indicates that this approach is resonating with both travellers and retail partners, giving us confidence as we continue to build and extend the platform across world travel retail.”

A global framework with local flexibility

Permanent visibility fixtures are now live at key gateways including Singapore Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport, with further installations underway in Mumbai, Delhi and Doha. In the Americas, updated brand presence has launched at Los Angeles International Airport, with a refreshed execution due to debut at the new 3Sixty store in Orlando.

While the visual identity remains consistent, execution varies market by market. Engagement mechanics are adapted to local shopper behaviour, store layouts and dwell time patterns, allowing the platform to flex without losing cohesion. In practical terms, this means different formats across arrival and departure zones, as well as adjustments for high-traffic versus boutique-style retail environments.

This adaptability appears to be key to early success. Rather than imposing a uniform activation template, Hershey is tailoring the shopper journey in line with the realities of each location.

Modernising in-store presence

A central objective of the platform is to modernise the brand’s in-store presence and ensure greater visual consistency across the Hershey’s, Reese’s and Kisses portfolios. Early roll-outs have prioritised immersive displays and digital amplification, reflecting the company’s ambition to strengthen brand recognition in a more contemporary way.

Digital screens are now live in London, Madrid and the Caribbean, supported by retailer-owned digital platforms and social media activity. In selected markets, activations have also extended to the Club Avolta app, broadening reach beyond the physical point of sale.

High-impact permanent and semi-permanent fixtures have been refreshed with vibrant colour palettes and travel-inspired creative cues, giving the brand a more cohesive presence in-store and enhancing standout in increasingly competitive confectionery zones.

Engagement translating into sell-out

Crucially, the early numbers suggest that engagement-led mechanics are delivering measurable commercial impact.

In Paris, the introduction of sampling during a platform activation contributed to a 119% increase in sell-out between July and August. In Abu Dhabi, a gamified engagement inspired by Connect 4 drove a more than 70% uplift in sell-out versus the previous year.

Retail partners have also reported improved shopper interaction levels where activations invite active participation rather than passive browsing. Interactive or sensory elements — whether through sampling, games or digital content — appear to be particularly effective in converting interest into purchase.

Seasonal executions have further reinforced performance. Chinese New Year and Christmas-themed visual updates helped strengthen gifting relevance during peak periods, earning positive feedback for both aesthetic appeal and commercial impact.

Together, these results underline the importance of engagement, theatre and contextual relevance in driving confectionery sales in travel retail — particularly as operators seek to elevate the category beyond simple transactional purchases.

Looking ahead to 2026

With early performance signals encouraging, The Hershey Company is preparing to expand and evolve the platform through 2026.

A new Departure Gate activation at Mumbai Airport is scheduled to launch later this month, extending brand presence closer to the final stages of the passenger journey. In the second half of the year, an augmented reality Treasure Hunt activation, developed in partnership with Avolta, will roll out at Athens and Guarulhos Airports, adding a further experiential layer.

Across the Americas, additional modernisation of fixtures and digital touchpoints is also planned, signalling a continued investment in both visibility and interactive engagement.

For Hershey, the message is clear: in a channel defined by speed and competition for attention, a unified but flexible brand platform can deliver both emotional resonance and commercial return.

As ‘Take the Taste With You’ gathers momentum, the company appears confident that the combination of strong creative, tailored execution and measurable performance will help it strengthen its position across world travel retail in the year ahead.