Sampling

The Hershey Company this summer hit the road with the Twizzlers Irresistible Summer Road Trip, a cross-country effort to promote its newest flavor, Twizzlers Sweet & Sour Filled Twists. The eight-market tour, which launched July 26 in Chicago and ends Sept. 19 in St. Louis, is traveling to family festivals, sporting events and beaches where it distributes samples and engages consumers with music, games and prizes. It also ties in with events sponsored by radio stations when possible. 

Adhering to its mantra of “for food people, by food people,” the Cooking Channel is partnering with local gourmet ice cream and popsicle shops on its 15-city summer tour to reach serious foodies and differentiate its hardcore cooking content from the more reality competition-based shows on sister channel, the Food Network.

Armed with a camera and bags filled with chocolate samples, Ghirardelli street teams are stopping consumers in 10 cities to capture their favorite chocolate “moments” on video and then post them to ghirardellimoments.com.

Dove Chocolate partnered with women’s internet site iVillage and Gallo wines, among others, to create an Afternoon of Indulgent Moments. The four-hour event, held on Mar. 9 at New York City’s Chelsea Market, offered busy women a feminine, relaxing, friendly and sophisticated environment that served as an oasis from the stresses and challenges of city life.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Oregon-based Tillamook Cheese shut the dairy farm gates behind it and hit the open road Jan. 9 on The Loaf Love Tour, making its first stop in Tucson, AZ, then nine other states and 25 cities over 11 months. At the center of the tour is a fleet of Loaf Love Buses: 1967 Volkswagen buses shortened by four feet, lowered by one foot and refurbished as replicas of Tillamook’s baby cheddar cheese loaves.