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Grandson of the Creator of Reese's writes open letter to Hersey for destroying what his Grandfather created.

AJUMP23

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23


Posted on LinkdiN
An Open Letter to Todd Scott, Manager, Corporate Brand & Editorial at The Hershey Company

Todd,

As someone who has spent his career shaping narratives, elevating reputations and stewarding brand meaning, you understand better than most that a story only works when it is anchored in truth.

That's why I'm writing to you publicly today, Saturday, February 14, 2026 (Valentine's Day).

My grandfather, H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S), built REESE'S on a simple, enduring architecture: Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter. Not a flavor idea. Not a marketing construct. A real, tangible product identity that consumers have trusted for a century.

But today, REESE'S identity is being rewritten, not by storytellers, but by formulation decisions that replace Milk Chocolate with compound coatings and Peanut Butter with peanut‑butter‑style crèmes across multiple REESE'S products.

And here's where your role, Todd, becomes central.

You lead the corporate brand and editorial strategy for The Hershey Company. You shape the story the world hears. You are responsible for ensuring that what The Hershey Company says aligns with what The Hershey Company does.

So, I have to ask:

How does The Hershey Company continue to position REESE'S as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built REESE'S trust in the first place?

This isn't a supply chain question. It's a brand governance question.

It's about whether The Hershey Company's corporate narrative is allowed to drift away from REESE'S product reality. It's about whether consumers are being asked to believe a story that no longer matches what's inside the REESE'S orange wrapper.

It's about whether REESE'S, the world's No. 1 chocolate brand, is being protected or diluted.

Todd, you've built a career on the belief that "a good story is at the heart of any conversation." I agree. But a good story requires honesty, transparency and respect for the audience (REESE'S consumers).

Right now, the REESE'S story is diverging from what's inside REESE'S products. And that divergence puts REESE'S and the legacy behind it, at risk.

As the grandson of the man who created REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups, I'm not asking for nostalgia. I'm asking for alignment. For truth in REESE'S brand stewardship. For a corporate narrative from The Hershey Company that reflects the REESE'S product consumers are actually receiving.

Because if REESE'S is going to remain the emotional equity anchor of The Hershey Company, then the story cannot be stronger than the ingredients.

Todd, you are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap.

I hope you will.

Brad Reese
Protecting REESE'S Brand Integrity
Grandson of H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S)
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I would like Chocolate and candy to get back to simple ingredients.

Current ingredients.

HBgYBxubcAA6PR-
 
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AJUMP23 said:


Posted on LinkdiN

1771472221555


I would like Chocolate and candy to get back to simple ingredients.
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Seriously. Use real ingredients, and charge more if it costs more. I'm sure a lot of people are willing to pay a little more to get real snacks that aren't loaded with whatever junk they're using these days. Besides, it's a treat, and people shouldn't be eating this shit by the bag anyway.
 
Salz01 said:
But…. What about the people that are allergic to peanuts? 🥜
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Then it isn't for them. Who cares about them. Genetically inferior.

Smiggs said:
Seriously. Use real ingredients, and charge more if it costs more. I'm sure a lot of people are willing to pay a little more to get real snacks that aren't loaded with whatever junk they're using these days. Besides, it's a treat, and people shouldn't be eating this shit by the bag anyway.
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Just advertise we have a better product now and return to real Cocoa and real PB Pay me bro.
 
Smiggs said:
Seriously. Use real ingredients, and charge more if it costs more. I'm sure a lot of people are willing to pay a little more to get real snacks that aren't loaded with whatever junk they're using these days. Besides, it's a treat, and people shouldn't be eating this shit by the bag anyway.
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There are already loads of chocolate treats using real ingredients for people who want to pay more.
 
Warspite said:
Its all the palm oil that's in these things, how is it cheaper to import that than use milk and chocolate?
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long term stability at room temp is my guess. Thats the secret sauce to ALLLLLLLLLL the shit in our food, they can throw it on a shelf for MONTHS until it finally sells, so wastage is practically zero. That lets the price be low even if it's technically more expensive ingredients.

I've hopes that RFK jr will pull all this stuff out of the US food economy, but seems doubtful.
 
To this day i still have no idea how you can fit so many ingredients in something basic like french fries, the difference between american macdonald fries and europe macdonal fries is wild...

How the fuck you people don't have anyone controlling this shit is even wilder.
 
GymWolf said:
To this day i still have no idea how you can fit so many ingredients in something basic like french fries, the difference between american macdonald fries and europe macdonal fries is wild...

How the fuck you people don't have anyone controlling this shit is even wilder.
Click to expand...

We do, the FDA, and they're in on it...
 
Cadbury's story is pretty much the same. Changed all the ingredients, changed where it gets made (production shipped out from England to Poland). When Mondelez International (Kraft) took it over they promised to Parliament that there'd be no big changes, yet two days after the transfer of ownership they laid off staff and closed a lot of the facilities. That deal was backed by Epstein's bud Peter Mandleson who claimed nothing would change, despite it being a hostile takeover.

People are being sold to based on long time brand loyalty, of a product they once loved, that has slowly and strategically been changed bit by bit over the years, a ship of Theseus. Shrinkflation and enshitification of food that shares nothing more than a label of what it once was.
 
falconhoof said:
Cadbury's story is pretty much the same. Changed all the ingredients, changed where it gets made (production shipped out from England to Poland). When Mondelez International (Kraft) took it over they promised to Parliament that there'd be no big changes, yet two days after the transfer of ownership they laid off staff and closed a lot of the facilities. That deal was backed by Epstein's bud Peter Mandleson who claimed nothing would change, despite it being a hostile takeover.

People are being sold to based on long time brand loyalty, of a product they once loved, that has slowly and strategically been changed bit by bit over the years, a ship of Theseus. Shrinkflation and enshitification of food that shares nothing more than a label of what it once was.
Click to expand...

Their eggs keep getting smaller too.
 
falconhoof said:
Cadbury's story is pretty much the same. Changed all the ingredients, changed where it gets made (production shipped out from England to Poland). When Mondelez International (Kraft) took it over they promised to Parliament that there'd be no big changes, yet two days after the transfer of ownership they laid off staff and closed a lot of the facilities. That deal was backed by Epstein's bud Peter Mandleson who claimed nothing would change, despite it being a hostile takeover.

People are being sold to based on long time brand loyalty, of a product they once loved, that has slowly and strategically been changed bit by bit over the years, a ship of Theseus. Shrinkflation and enshitification of food that shares nothing more than a label of what it once was.
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Cadburys sold in England is still good at least. Hershey's owns the rights to Cadburys in the US and the stuff they sell here is just crappy 'Hershey's chocolate adjacent substance'™ with the Cadbury's name attached.
 
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doesn't Hersheys taste like vomit? that's what I always heard... something to do with the way they do their milk powder or something.
 
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Was my favorite as a kid and now I can't stand them. Not sure if that is just changing tastes or because of the changes they made to ingredients though.
 
I've been trying to cut out a lot of sugar from my diet. Chocolate and candy was the first and easiest thing to go. Make the switch and drop these over processed waste of calories. Fruit ends up tasting so much better once you do.
 
Smiggs said:
I'm sure a lot of people are willing to pay a little more to get real snacks that aren't loaded with whatever junk they're using these days.
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If that was true the products having only natural ingredients would've taking market share from all the artificial crap, but they don't. The market has spoken, people want shit at cheap prices.
 
jason10mm said:
long term stability at room temp is my guess. Thats the secret sauce to ALLLLLLLLLL the shit in our food, they can throw it on a shelf for MONTHS until it finally sells, so wastage is practically zero. That lets the price be low even if it's technically more expensive ingredients.

I've hopes that RFK jr will pull all this stuff out of the US food economy, but seems doubtful.
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this, anyone who has bought "natural" peanut butter knows it separates. Can't do that in a candy.
 
The guy probably didn't work a day in his life because his dad sold the company, but hey - let's talk shit for Internet brownie points.
 
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I remember reading a few years ago that global cocoa production is in decline because there are more economically viable crops to grow in the third world countries that supply most of the world's cocoa.

So the question is, are you willing to pay more for your chocolate?
 
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I like Swiss and Belgian chocolate the best. British corporate chocolate is as pedestrian as American corporate chocolate and is ok for a quick snack but difficult to actually enjoy. Eric's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups made with Swiss chocolate are really good, imo.
 
Being British and traveling to the US, the disgusting taste of chocolate there was more of a shock than I expected.
Even the US giant Mars tastes like shit.

If any of you decided to come over here, try our Snickers. It's lovely.
 
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