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Hershey didn’t do things the way they had always been done before. He didn’t accept old methods, stale ideas or out-of-date techniques. Instead, Hershey used his imagination to innovate, take his company in new directions and break the molds of the past. It was this characteristic of Hershey’s, and his understanding that attainable rewards required him to take some prudent risks, that drove him to success.
Clever promotion became one of the hallmarks of Hershey and his Chocolate Company and was one of the key factors that differentiated him from his competitors. Unwilling to stick to traditional means of advertising, Hershey took it upon himself to be innovative in his techniques. In 1900, Hershey became the first person to own an automobile in his hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Realizing the opportunity he had at his hands, Hershey decided to use the car as a mobile advertising machine. He displayed company signs in the windows as he drove around to deliver his products. Being the only car in town, it obviously attracted much attention and got residents talking not only about the car but also about the man and the company behind it.
In a similar display of his creative imagination, the now famous Hershey Kiss chocolate was the brainchild of Hershey himself. It was introduced in 1907 and, with its unique flat bottom and cute cone shape, became an instant hit. Adding even more flair to the candy, Hershey decided to add a ‘plume’ at the top of each chocolate’s wrapper, which would not only make it more visually appealing and eye-catching, but, with the company’s name written on the plume, would additionally serve as a means of advertising. This was so successful that in 1924, Hershey had that style of the Hershey Kiss trademarked.
Hershey’s contribution to the community around him was another feature that set him apart from other businessmen, both then and now. Going against the advice of his associates, Hershey chose not to reinvest the majority of his wealth but rather to devote it towards helping others. “It’s my money,” Hershey once said. In 1918, he created the Hershey Trust Co. to manage his assets for the benefit of the Industrial School he and his wife had created. He broke the traditional mold and in doing so made himself one of the most respected businessmen and philanthropists in all of America.
Today, The Milton Hershey School in Pennsylvania remains the biggest shareholder of the Hershey Co. Thanks to Hershey this school also holds the biggest portfolio of securities of any other primary or secondary school in the world. With $7.8 billion in endowments, The Milton Hershey School dwarfs even the largest universities. His business advisors thought he was mad, but Hershey nonetheless single-handedly ensured that these underprivileged children would be taken care of for years to come, and that, to him, was more important than any other investment he could have possibly made. Hershey stepped outside of his role as a businessman to embrace that of a philanthropist, popularizing corporate responsibility at a time when it was relatively unheard of.
By being willing to take risks and think creatively and strategically, Hershey broke all the molds of the American food industry.
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Milton Hershey Video - Company towns have often been depicted as locations of worker exploitation. The 1950s song, Sixteen Tons, popularized by Tennessee Ernie Ford (and easily found on the web) reinforces that idea. Hershey, Pennsylvania had a different reputation, however. But it did not escape the labor unrest that swept the U.S. in the 1930s.
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