Jesse Chester | China’s Sweet Tooth

In this episode of The Negotiation, we speak with Jesse Chester, Category Leadership Director at Mars. This was a really sweet conversation and I mean that literally, as Mars is the company behind fan favorites like the Mars Bar, Snickers, Twix, etc., as well as some brands that you might not know were theirs like Whiskas, Dove, and Uncle Ben’s. We talk about how the Chinese market treats confectionery and sweets when compared to North America, we talk about what the differing tastes and preferences such as a texture for Chinese consumers and what some of the unique flavors were that they created just for the China market were. We talk about the differences in the demographics for candy, gum, and chocolate, as well as HOW each demographic shops for and pays for them. We also talk about how Mars competed with domestic brands and some of the strategies and tactics they leaned on to stay competitive there. Enjoy!