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HERSHEY, Pa., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Hershey Company today announced that its U.S. Confections and Snack business is realigning its marketing communications agencies to further capitalize on changing consumer and media trends. The realignment includes a new relationship with Arnold Worldwide, the expansion of Hershey's relationship with North Castle Partners, and the shifting of communications assignments from Hershey's current agencies, Ogilvy & Mather and DDB. Hershey has no plans to change its media- buying agency. Hershey appointed Arnold Worldwide to create fully integrated advertising and marketing programs for its core chocolate brands, including Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Take 5, York and Kit Kat. Arnold is a leading agency in building brands through multi-faceted communications programs that touch consumers through broadcast, print, design, interactive, direct, promotions and public relations. In addition, North Castle Partners will provide fully integrated marketing programs for all of Hershey's refreshment and sugar confectionery brands, including Ice Breakers, Twizzlers and Jolly Rancher; key snack brands, including Hershey's Cookies and Snack Barz; and the newly acquired Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt premium chocolates brands. "The agency realignment supports Hershey's strategy of rapidly evolving its brand-building practices to meet the significant changes in consumer lifestyles. In recent years, Hershey's marketing strategy has delivered consistent marketplace results through extensive innovation and seamless, experiential marketing programs," said Tom Hernquist, Senior Vice President, President U.S. Confectionery, The Hershey Company. "The changes we are implementing will help Hershey further build its brands and drive growth by connecting with consumers across a full range of touch points and media, including the Internet, public relations, consumer promotions, and interactive communications. "We will continue to unlock the immense potential of our brands by working with Arnold and North Castle to develop programs that leverage the unique emotional connection that consumers have to Hershey. In addition, this realignment represents an excellent opportunity to further shift our brand- building programs to on-trend media vehicles such as the Internet and to leverage our expansive retail distribution as an advantaged marketing communication tool," Hernquist added. "I want to thank both Ogilvy & Mather and DDB for all they have done to help create this momentum and for the contributions they have made to our business and to our brands over the years." Bob Goodpaster, Vice President, Integrated Business Intelligence and Marketing Services, The Hershey Company, added, "Both North Castle and Arnold Worldwide have excellent track records in driving business results through integrated, multi-faceted marketing programs. They will also ensure that our fully integrated communications leverage the important role of Hershey's retail customers in building our brands. We have made strong progress in aligning our marketing programs with the evolving media landscape, and we look forward to working with these agencies to deliver programs that enable consumers to experience our brands in exciting, new ways." About Arnold Worldwide Arnold Worldwide is the headquarters of Arnold Worldwide Partners, a global network owned by Havas (NASDAQ:HAVSNASDAQ:EuronextNASDAQ:Paris:NASDAQ:HAV.PA). Arnold Worldwide represents one of the lead agencies in the system, with five fully integrated service offices in the U.S.: the Boston headquarters, New York, Washington, D.C., St. Louis and Los Angeles as well as five additional service offices. Globally, Arnold Worldwide Partners consists of 18 offices in 8 countries, which include the five full-service U.S. operations. Arnold Worldwide is one of the most highly awarded agencies in the world, with a client roster that includes well-recognized companies and brands like Royal Caribbean, McDonald's, Fidelity Investments, Gillette, Tyson's, Radio Shack and Jack Daniels. It has received the Grand Prix at the International Festival in Cannes, top honors at the International ANDY Awards, and been a consistent annual winner of Clios, EFFIEs, Obies and One Show awards. About North Castle Partners North Castle is an independent, full-service advertising agency with special expertise in teen and young adult marketing. In addition to The Hershey Company, North Castle clients include Philips Norelco, Peoples Bank, Esselte office products, Centerplate and Blu Sphere, a division of Amway, and the Ad Council. The agency is located in Stamford, CT. About The Hershey Company The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) is a leading snack food company and the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery products. With revenues of over $4 billion and more than 13,000 employees worldwide, The Hershey Company markets such well-known brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, Kit Kat, Almond Joy, Mounds, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and Mauna Loa, as well as innovative new products such as Take 5 and Hershey's Cookies. In addition to its traditional confectionery products, Hershey offers a range of products specifically developed to address the nutritional interests of today's health-conscious consumer. These products include sugar-free Hershey's, Reese's and York candies, as well as Hershey's SmartZone bars for people seeking balanced nutrition. It also markets Hershey's cocoa, Hershey's syrup and other branded baking ingredients, toppings and beverages. In addition, Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, markets premium chocolate offerings, including Scharffen Berger, known for its high-cacao dark chocolate products, and Joseph Schmidt, recognized for its fine, handcrafted chocolate gifts. Visit us at http://www.hersheynewsroom.com/. DATASOURCE: The Hershey Company CONTACT: Stephanie Moritz of The Hershey Company, +1-717-534-7641 Web site: http://www.hersheynewsroom.com/ http://www.hersheys.com/

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