The gummy bear effect.

I was talking to my mother today while eating a cinnamon gummy bear. I asked her, with the intention of making a joke of her old age (I have to push my mom’s buttons, it keeps me entertained) if they even had gummy bears when she was a kid. To my surprise, she said, “No, all we had were dots and licorice.” She was older than I thought. I asked when gummy bears came around. She told me she didn’t start seeing them until the late 70’s. “What about gummy worms?” “Even later”, she said.

After this conversation, I pondered about the rise of the gummy bear, gummy worm, gummy sharks, Scoobie Snacks, Fruit Rollup, and so on. It was pretty obvious that the gummy bear was the beginning of a massive 50-year long and still growing marketing tactic used to sell candy. The gummy bear gave birth to the non-chocolate candy industry. Hundreds, if not thousands, of fruit snacks are available for consumers today along with traditional gummy candy in a million different shapes, animals, and fruits. Candy makers worldwide can thank the creator of the gummy bear for their success. The gummy bear revolutionized the candy industry.

What will you do to cause a gummy bear effect?