Crystal Lindell

Things got interesting though when the survey also cleverly worked in some of my personal Facebook data.

The newest line of Angry Bird treats are sure to help “The Force be with you.”

Hershey may have been the last major chocolate makers to join the list of companies planning to use 100% sustainable cocoa by 2020 — following Mars, Nestle, Mondelez and Ferrero — but that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking the goal seriously.

“With this expansion, we now truly have the ability to service national accounts effectively, while at the same time leveraging our scale to provide our customers with the broadest assortment of products and best service available in the industry," says Current Wythe Will CEO Gordon Angles.

A St. Paul, Minn.-based candy store had gotten national attention after the owners were forced to give up tobacco — or at least any candy products that look like tobacco.

The Ford Gum & Machine Co.’s story begins 100 years ago in 1913 when 20-year-old Ford S. Mason, a roofing salesman, was seeking a side business to supplement his income during the winter months.

The separation of the two marks a contrast to how the show was designed in 2012, when both the trade and the consumer show were held simultaneously.

If 2012 is any indication, new products, local causes, and big data will all be important for brands in 2013.

I have a confession to make. I once was a smoker — of candy cigarettes. While I’ve never actually lit up a square, I spent my youth puffing away whole packs of chalk-candy cigarettes (sometime two packs) in as little as an afternoon.

Giveaway part of new branding effort.