Chris Laas, a Digital Marketing Consultant, has determined the most popular and marketable confectionery brands. Using data from YouGov, the most famous brands were identified and then their social media data was analysed to determine which brands generated the most social media posts that use each brand’s hashtag.

KitKat is the most popular confectionery brand in the UK. KitKat has amassed a total of 4,316,600 social media posts that use the KitKat hashtag. On TikTok, KitKat has 480,000 followers, 1,700,000 likes, and 416,600 hashtag posts. On Instagram, KitKat has 3,900,000 hashtag posts and 1,100,000 followers. KitKat was created in the UK in 1935 by Rowntree’s. According to YouGov, KitKat’s fame is 98% and popularity is 79%.

Lindt, which was founded in Switzerland, is in second place with a total of 1,678,500 social media posts using its hashtag. On Instagram, Lindt accounts for 1,600,000 hashtag posts and has 172,000 followers. On TikTok, the brand has garnered 78,500 hashtag posts, 36,200 followers, and 269,700 likes. Based on YouGov ratings, Lindt holds a fame of 98% and a popularity of 73%.

Third place goes to Cadbury, which has a combined total of 1,329,400 social media posts that use the Cadbury hashtag. Cadbury has 1,200,000 Instagram posts that use its hashtag and 437,000 Instagram followers. On TikTok, there are 129,400 posts that use the hashtag. Cadbury has 177,100 followers and 2,300,000 likes on TikTok. According to YouGov ratings, Cadbury’s fame is 99% and its popularity is 73%. Cadbury was founded in Birmingham, England, in 1824 by John Cadbury.

Maltesers has a combined total of 809,600 social media posts featuring its hashtag. Maltesers was created in the UK by Forrest Mars in 1936. Maltesers maintains a YouGov fame rating of 97% and a popularity rating of 84%. Maltesers has reached 757,000 Instagram hashtag posts alongside 342,000 followers. Maltesers’ TikTok account has 52,600 hashtag posts, 23,000 followers, and 213,800 likes.

Rounding out the top five most popular brands is Twix. The brand generated 788,600 total social media posts under its hashtag. Twix has 691,000 Instagram hashtag posts and 803,000 Instagram followers. On TikTok, Twix has recorded 97,600 hashtag posts, 913,400 followers, and 2,000,000 likes. YouGov data indicates a 99% fame score and an 81% popularity score. Twix was first produced in Slough in 1967.

The top 10 most popular confectionery brands in the UK

RankBrandInstagram hashtag postsTikTok hashtag postsTotal hashtag posts

1 KitKat 3,900,000 416,600 4,316,600
2 Lindt 1,600,000 78,500 1,678,500
3 Cadbury 1,200,000 129,400 1,329,400
4 Maltesers 757,000 52,600 809,600
5 Twix 691,000 97,600 788,600
6 Cornetto Classic Ice Cream 648,000 53,300 701,300
7 Toblerone 597,000 56,400 653,400
8 M&M’s 350,000 35,000 385,000
9 Terry’s Chocolate Orange 137,000 10,500 147,500
10 Magnum Classic Ice Cream 94,400 19,700 114,100

 

Cornetto Classic Ice Cream ranks sixth and has a combined total of 701,300 social media posts using the Cornetto hashtag. Cornetto was originally created in Naples, Italy, in 1959 before being acquired and popularised worldwide by Unilever. On Instagram, Cornetto has gathered 648,000 hashtag posts and has 44,600 followers. On TikTok, the ice cream brand accounts for 53,300 hashtag posts, 34,000 followers, and 664,600 likes. Cornetto has a YouGov fame rating of 98% and a popularity score of 79%.

Toblerone has a combined total of 653,400 social media posts using its hashtag. According to YouGov ratings, Toblerone holds a fame rating of 94% and a popularity score of 77%. On Instagram, Toblerone accounts for 597,000 hashtag posts and has 135,000 followers. On TikTok, the brand has gathered 56,400 hashtag posts, 9,200 followers, and 66,900 likes. Toblerone was created in Bern, Switzerland, in 1908.

M&M’s has a total of 385,000 social media posts using its hashtag. On Instagram, M&M’s accounts for 350,000 hashtag posts and 1,200,000 followers. On TikTok, the brand has garnered 35,000 hashtag posts, 260,600 followers, and 5,500,000 likes. M&M’s was introduced in the US by Mars in 1941 and is one of the world’s iconic candy brands. According to YouGov ratings, M&M’s holds a fame rating of 99% and a popularity score of 71%.

Terry’s Chocolate Orange has a combined total of 147,500 social media posts that use the Terry’s Chocolate Orange hashtag. Based on YouGov ratings, Terry’s Chocolate Orange has a fame score of 98% and a popularity score of 73%. Terry’s Chocolate Orange has 137,000 Instagram posts using its hashtag and 97,800 Instagram followers. On TikTok, there are 10,500 posts using the hashtag, along with 38,700 followers and 377,700 likes. Terry’s Chocolate Orange was created in York, England, in 1932.

Rounding out the top 10 is Magnum Classic Ice Cream. Magnum Classic Ice Cream has a total of 114,100 social media posts that use its hashtag. Magnum was originally launched in 1989 in Germany. According to YouGov ratings, Magnum Classic Ice Cream has a fame rating of 98% and a popularity score of 83%. On Instagram, Magnum accounts for 94,400 hashtag posts and 44,000 followers. On TikTok, the brand has garnered 19,700 hashtag posts, 546,100 followers, and 10,600,000 likes.

Chris Laas, Digital Marketing Consultant, has commented on the findings:  “Social media is an indicator of a brand’s popularity and marketability. Household recognition of brands is important, but in order to know a brand’s true market strength, you should look to see which brand has the highest engagement on social media platforms. What’s striking is that Cadbury has near-universal recognition at 99% fame, yet KitKat generates more than three times its social media volume.

“The brands that have a high YouGov fame score, like Lindt and KitKat, have secured universal awareness, but their real advantage is built on short-form video engagement, where TikTok likes and hashtag volume directly fuel cultural relevance and impulse purchases. High awareness can get a brand onto the shelf, but social platform velocity is what turns a passive household name into a commercial asset.”