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I have long been a Snickers fan, devoted since childhood. I remember with glee of a gift from a friend of a shoe box filled with Snickers and even recall an ill-fated Snickers diet in high school, where I ate 3-4 Snickers a day and nothing else. So Snickers and I go way back. At various times throughout the past year or two, while waiting in line at Duane Reade, or in the supermarket,  I have noticed a few new Snickers flavors popping up. They almost appear seasonal, coming and going. I’ve seen Snicker’s Fudge, some sort of peanut crunch candy from Snickers, Snickers Almond, Snickers Dark, some sort of Snicker energy bar and most recent, Snickers Peanut Butter Squares. Of course I tried them all. Can’t say any really rivaled the original, but I had a brief love affair with new Snickers Peanut Butter. First, the form threw me; can it be a Snickers if it’s in 2 squares? The familiar, heavy “log” of the original, the one that “really satisfies,” is quite comforting. The Peanut Butter flavor was tasty, but much lighter. Yummy, but it didn’t satisfy. Then I realized that was no longer Snickers’ tagline.

This is not an isolated Snickers phenomenon. M&M’s and Reeses also seem to be adding new varieties. I found a press release from MARS announcing the new Snickers. It states, “According to industry research, peanut butter candy is growing at twice the rate as the overall candy industry. We’re giving consumers more delicious options…”

I am very curious what happens with more Snickers to choose from. Does one just pick which among the Snickers family to eat when they are in the mood for a Snickers? That’s what I have found myself doing. I suspect the assumption of adding more varieties is that people will eat more Snickers than before since they are offering additional flavors? Is the intention some sort of occasionalization, where the consumer will associate each flavor with a specific event or time of day? (Peanut Butter for dessert, Original for 3pm break, Almond for after tennis game?) Does the brand grow stronger with more to choose from, or weaker from diluting the equity of the original? Do consumers become more loyal to Snickers because of its new varieties or are they disdainful because of the changes made to a beloved bar, established since 1930?