EP193 - Hershey's CDO Doug Straton   Doug Straton, Chief Digital Officer at The Hershey Company.  In this broad-ranging interview, we discuss Hershey's digital footprint, the challenges of temperature-sensitive products, incumbents versus challenger brands, Amazon, Hershey's data strategy, and the future of digital grocery. Don't forget to like our facebook page, and if you enjoyed this episode please write us a review on itunes. Episode 193 of the Jason & Scot show was recorded on Tuesday September 17th, 2019, live from the Grocery Shop trade show in Las Vegas, NV. http://jasonandscot.com Join your hosts Jason "Retailgeek" Goldberg, Chief Commerce Strategy Officer at Publicis, and Scot Wingo, CEO of GetSpiffy and Co-Founder of ChannelAdvisor as they discuss the latest news and trends in the world of e-commerce and digital shopper marketing. Automated Transcription of the show Transcript Jason: [0:24] Welcome to the Jason and Scott show this episode is being recorded live from the grocery shop trade show in Las Vegas on Tuesday September 17th 2019 on your host Jason retailgeek Goldberg and unfortunately Scott was unable to join us today so I am solo [0:41] but I'm making up for it by bringing you a great guest welcome Today Show Doug straighten he's the chief digital officer at the Hershey Company Doug welcome to the show. Doug I know there's probably no listeners that are not familiar with her she but I sometimes think you're, a broader company Than People realize can you give us the the elevator pitch for Hershey. Doug: [1:03] Yep shirt so first of all this years are 120 V birthday. And you know that's iconic I think we're number of reasons it it it's it's both accounting the fact that you got a brand that means so much to people, it's been around for this long and why they recognized as both being still hip and cool yet by the still being you know you know I'm kind of a legacy brand. Jason: [1:27] But you surpass the fat stage. Doug: [1:29] Yeah yeah so retro is cool again and you know so so you know her she's doing it's doing its part, so that I think the the other couple things about Hershey that I think I really really amazing so the first thing is, Milton Hershey to quit this entire Fortune to the Milton Hershey trust and the Milton Hershey Trust, funds the entire education housing I'll room and board frankly for disadvantaged kids so originally it was orphaned boys and Snell been expanded to disadvantage Shop Boys and Girls, it's an amazing School located in Hershey Pennsylvania for thousand students and the Milton Hershey trust is our biggest shareholder so in fact. We all work for a greater good Beyond just selling candy, and making a profit where are you never actually that money goes to a very very good cause, which I think is amazing and in terms of being brought her you know we have sister companies Hershey entertainment Resorts so we have a hotel we have an amusement park we have retail experiences, in addition we've been expanding into adjacent cat snack and categories so we've added Brands like skinny pop, Pirate's Booty crave, bark thins in a number of others so dark chocolate we are expanding into areas where we think we have the ability to win. Jason: [2:50] It's very cool and it's it's funny because I feel like these purpose base companies have become super trending now and everyone's I go Millennials only buy from these purple space companies it's it's clearly not anything you guys been doing it for a hundred 25 year. Doug: [3:03] Yeah like we have been doing it and it is interesting because it's it's it's both fun and maybe a little bit hilarious. To watch companies try to evolve a purpose when they've never been Purpose Driven and it's interesting to see who becomes who seems authentic in terms of the purpose of, and who doesn't and I don't think I think there's no question it went to review the story of Milton Hershey, how iconic and how amazing and how purpose-driven he was as an individual and h