M&M'S® Crispy Voted Product of the Year in Chocolate Category

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J., March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- M&M'S^® Milk Chocolate Candies are the people's chocolate so it's no wonder M&M'S Crispy easily locked-up the prestigious 2016 Product of the Year designation in the chocolate category based on a TNS consumer survey of over 40,000 consumers.

M&M'S Crispy returned to shelves nationwide in January 2015 for the first time in 10 years after fans called, tweeted and organized online petitions.  This was the first product in Mars Chocolate history to be "brought back" because of fan requests. Originally debuted in 1998 as a limited-time-only offering, it's the crispy center with a light and delicate crunch that makes M&M'S Crispy a fan favorite!

"It's only fitting that a survey of 40,000 consumers helped secure M&M'S Crispy the designation as the 2016 Product of the Year in the chocolate category," said Tanya Berman, Senior Brand Director, M&M'S Brand. "This award really belongs to our fans who were the true catalysts to ensure M&M'S Crispy could be enjoyed by millions of others for years to come."

To learn more about M&M'S Crispy, including nutritional information, please visit http://www.mms.com or learn more on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/mms).

For more information, please visit http://www.mars.com/ and follow us at facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars, linkedin.com/company/mars for real-time updates.

About Mars, Incorporated
In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company.  In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of  building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 75,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, CESAR®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and NUTRO®; Chocolate – M&M'S® ®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® and LIFESAVERS® mints.  Food – UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA COFFEE ROASTERS™, THE BRIGHT TEA COMPANY™, KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA® and WISDOM PANEL®.

About Product of the Year:
Product of the Year is the world's largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Established 29 years ago, Product of the Year currently operates in 42 countries with the same purpose: Guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation. Product of the Year winners are backed by the votes of over 40,000 consumers in a national representative survey conducted by research partner TNS, a global leader in consumer research. The award is a powerful merchandising program for marketers proven to increase product sales, distribution and awareness. Winning products are announced in February each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year seal in marketing communications for two years. For more information, visit http://www.productoftheyearusa.com/.

About TNS:
TNS advises clients on specific growth strategies around new market entry, innovation, brand switching and customer employee reputation management, which is based on long-established expertise and market-leading solutions. With a presence in over 80 countries, TNS has more conversations with the world's consumers than anyone else and understands individual human behaviors and attitudes across every cultural, economic and political region of the world. TNS is part of Kantar, one of the world's largest insight, information and consultancy groups. Please visit www.tnsglobal.com for more information.

SOURCE Mars Chocolate North America

Related Links

http://www.mms.com