Standard Candy Relaunching Iconic Brand

Standard Candy Co. LLC plans to refresh its venerable Goo Goo Cluster brand through an enhanced logo mark, new packaging, new gift packs, point-of-purchase displays and a new place in the retailer prepared food section early next year. Additionally, a new online presence, currently under development, is set to go live in January 2011.

To effect this change, the Nashville, Tenn.-based company has turned to EVP Lance Paine with the revitalization of the brand. Paine joined Standard after five years as a co-founder and president of SLJ Desserts LLC, and before that, he was an analyst for La Brea Bakery. He boasts a history of turnaround success in the retail food business.

“We have worked with our Standard Candy Co. team to implement a more premium chocolate [for Goo Goo Cluster] and other value-based ingredients, which will allow for positioning the heritage confection in the prepared food section of national chain and mom-and-pop, as well as the ubiquitous candy aisle,” noted Paine. “As part of the candy’s evolution, we believe that the improved Goo Goo Cluster ingredient composition increases the value of the candy while continuing to deliver the nostalgic comforts associated with Goo Goos to the taste buds of our loyal customers.”

Standard’s flagship brand since 1912, the year the company began, Goo Goo Cluster – the first multi-ingredient confection, according to its manufacturer -- features caramel, marshmallow, peanuts and milk chocolate. Standard sells 10 million to 12 million of the candies annually, and has invested more than $15 million in equipment and facilities in the past five years. In January 2009, the company, which employs 500 people, added 30 percent more warehouse space.