This candy company is ready to cash in on a viral mashup of two iconic treats

KATE TAYLOR May 11, 2016, 01:21 IST

InspireFate Photography/FlickrHershey's may have a mega-hit on its hands, as rumors that a Reese's Pieces-Reese's Peanut Butter Cup will debut this summer are already going viral.

The rumors apparently began with a Facebook post by Marlena Courchain on April 28, containing blurry pictures of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups filled with Reese's Pieces. Courchain hinted in her post that the chocolatey mashup would be released in July.

Two weeks later, the post has more than 38,000 shares and close to 5,000 comments.

Reese's told Business Insider that it has no information on the leaker or how the information around the mashup was leaked.

But the same picture of the Reese's Pieces filled Peanut Butter Cups quickly spread to Imgur and Twitter.

As though to confirm the launch of a product, Reese's began teasing a Pieces-Peanut Butter Cup mashup on Twitter on May 5, about a week after the first photo surfaced, using the hashtag "cupfusion."

Pre-launch "leaks" have become an ideal way for companies to stir up excitement on social media about a product before it even hits the market. It's a strategy that Oreo has notably executed for its many limited-time flavors, with First We Feast asking in February 2015 if the brand was purposefully leaking flavors prior to their official release.Hershey could use some buzz in its confection business, as growth of chocolate sales in the US has slowed each year since 2010, reports the Wall Street Journal. Tapping into customers' love for mashups of nostalgic favorites could provide a perfect sales boost this summer.

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This candy company is ready to cash in on a viral mashup of two iconic treats

NOW WATCH: An Australian cafe serves hot chocolate that is poured over cotton candy