The confectionery giant paired its flagship brand with a chart-topping pop group to launch a new product. Here's why that move works for owners selling to younger buyers.
Hershey's flagship brand just made a high-profile move: it partnered with Katseye, a chart-topping pop group, to support a new product launch. On the surface, it looks like a celebrity endorsement. But the strategy is subtly different, and that difference explains why it works for reaching Gen Z without alienating the millions of customers who've been buying Hershey's chocolate for decades.
Gen Z buyers care about indulgence and cultural moments. Hershey recognized that the brand itself, a household name that's been around since 1894, doesn't inherently feel like a cultural moment. So instead of redesigning the product or chasing whatever trend is popular this week, Hershey paired it with a group that Gen Z already follows and trusts.
This is different from a one-off celebrity ad. A partnership gives both parties skin in the game. Katseye gets to show their audience they're authentic enough to back a product they actually like. Hershey gets to borrow that authenticity and cultural cache without abandoning its core identity.
The Hershey-Katseye move works because it respects both the brand and the audience. For a store owner or small brand, the lesson is this: find a creator, musician, or micro-influencer whose followers represent the demographic you want to reach next, and whose values actually align with how your business operates.
Hershey's investment in this campaign signals something bigger: established brands can grow Gen Z revenue without abandoning their existing customer base. The key is choosing partners that represent what your brand actually stands for, then letting both sides amplify each other.
As the confectionery maker invests in brands to build on recent growth, its flagship label teamed with a chart-topping pop group to support a new product.
Marketing Dive, September 1, 2026
How WebKing runs this
We identified the Gen Z indulgence trend and built a partnership strategy that lets established brands like this one stay culturally relevant while protecting their core equity. The move works because it doesn't abandon existing customers to chase new ones; it gives both groups a reason to engage.
A partnership gives younger customers a cultural reason to choose the product, it's not just candy, it's connected to something they love. That association sticks in memory and builds loyalty in a way a traditional ad can't. For a store owner, this means finding local or niche influencers or creators whose audiences overlap with your customers.
No. Hershey kept the flagship brand front and center, so existing customers still see the core product. The Gen Z angle is an addition, not a replacement. The goal is to grow the pie, not shrink it.
Look for a partner whose audience overlaps with the demographic you want to reach next, and make sure they align with how your brand actually behaves. A forced partnership feels fake to customers. The Hershey-Katseye pairing works because both represent indulgence and cultural moment-making.
Yes, but at a smaller scale. Partner with a local creator, musician, or micro-influencer whose followers match your target customer. The principle is the same: borrow credibility and cultural relevance from someone your next customer already follows.
Sources
The Lab is original analysis by WebKing. We summarize and interpret developments from the sources above for industrial, commercial, and small business owners. Figures are reported as published by their sources.
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