Close-up of a foodie eating a chocolate bear – Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images
Looking forward, things are sweet. The U.S. candy market at large is thriving, and it’s expected to keep growing. Perhaps unsurprisingly, chocolate dominates the market, accounting for more than 50% of total candy revenue, reports Grand View Research. Although gourmet and premium chocolate offerings like truffles, avant-garde flavors, and elegantly-packaged bitter dark chocolate comprise a newly-majority portion of the rising demand, one everyman candy bar remains a constant category contender: Snickers.
Something about the fully-loaded combination of chocolate, nougat, peanuts, and caramel in this American candy bar just hits — at least, according to sweet-toothed consumers in the United States. When the first Snickers bar hit the market in 1930, it was sold in Chicago for just $0.05. The candy bar (originally named after a horse) has come a long way since its humble origins — and according to a recent study by data analytics firm Statista, Snickers was the top chocolate candy bar by brand awareness in the U.S. in 2025.
The recently published study set out to determine which popular candy bar brand is the most well-known among U.S. consumers. Statista surveyed internet responders’ brand recognition by “showing respondents both the brand’s logo and the written brand name,” and per the results, Snickers is the leader of the pack with 94%. Followingly closely are KitKat and M&Ms with 93% each, Twix with 92%, and Hershey’s and Reese’s with 91% each.
Read more: 21 American Burger Chains Ranked, Worst To Best
Prominent sports sponsorships and celebrity ad campaigns keep Snickers relevant over competitors
Person holding a Snickers bar – Smith Collection/gado/Getty Images
So, how did Snickers manage to surpass competitors in the minds of American consumers? Beyond the taste of the candy itself, Snickers’ consistent momentum is largely thanks to its masterclass marketing. Humor-based ad campaigns led by celebrity endorsements promote brand memorability — which, judging by the results of the Statista study, clearly seems to be working. In 2010, Snickers launched the now-iconic “You’re not you when you’re angry” campaign, promoting Snickers as a practical solution for curbing “hangry” moodiness. Compounding this socially-oriented marketing strategy, Snickers’ prominent sports sponsorships further cement memorability and opportunities for frequent branding exposure. Snickers sponsored the 1984 L.A. Olympics, and today, it’s the official chocolate sponsor of the NFL. In 2013, Snickers hit the milestone of $1 billion in U.S. sales.
Meanwhile, competitor KitKat also began in the 1930s (across the pond in the UK), but has been using the same “treat yourself” slogan (“Have a break, have a KitKat”) since 1958. Fellow competitor Hershey’s chocolate bars impressively hit the $1 billion sales mark in 1979 and $5 billion in 2008. But, while its flagship chocolate bar is certainly a seminal category pioneer, the Hershey Company has largely focused on competitor brand acquisition and growing its product portfolio over the years, whereas Snickers has performed under parent company Mars as a flourishing brand name in its own right.
Want more food knowledge? Sign up to our free newsletter where we’re helping thousands of foodies, like you, become culinary masters, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.