We all love Snickers, don’t we? But who owns Snickers? Is Snickers owned by Hershey? Let’s find out!

We have never met someone who doesn’t know what Snickers is. It’s been around since 1930 and is one of the most-loved chocolates even today. The caramel-topped nougat and roasted peanuts wrapped in rich milky chocolate have got us all drooling! No wonder Snickers continues to be one of the most-selling chocolates around the globe. If you love Snickers, too, you might be interested in knowing who owns it. Many people think Snickers is owned by Hershey. Is that true?

Snickers isn’t owned by Hershey. It’s owned by the 106-year-old company, Mars Incorporate, which has been quite secretive about its affairs, and it’s only now that they’ve started to open up about what the company’s up to. We certainly can’t thank Mars Inc. enough for bringing us Snickers!

Back in the day, consumers were more interested in the product than they were in the manufacturer. Everyone who loved Snickers never thought beyond the chocolate, which is why not many people knew who owned Snickers. However, things are different today. People are as much interested in where the product is coming from as they are in the product itself. For this reason, we’ve seen a lot of Snicker lovers asking who owns it. Many people are under the idea that Snickers is owned by Hershey but in truth, Mars Incorporated owns Snickers.

Not many people know much about Mars Inc. That’s because the company has never opened up about its private affairs, but we’ve done our research well, and we can tell you everything that you wish to know about Snickers and i’s super-secretive owners.

Who Owns Snickers?

Snickers is owned by Mars Incorporated. Mars Inc. has given us some of the best chocolates of all time, including Snickers, Mars Bars, and M&M’s, among many others. Since it’s only now that people have shown interest in knowing about the manufacturer of one of the best chocolates, there’s so much about the company that you don’t know.

Lesser-Known Facts About Mars Company

Let’s go through the many facts about the owners of Snickers that you may not have known about up until today.

1. Mars Company Began in a Small Kitchen

Unlike other big names, Mars Company didn’t begin as the full-fledged company that it’s today. It started in a small kitchen. It was a result of the passion that the two men shared for food. It was in their kitchen that they created some confections that stood all tests of time.

2. Some of the Most Popular Chocolates Are Owned by Mars Company

Mars Company owns some of the most popular chocolates that we all love. In fact, the chances that Mars owns all the chocolates you love. Some names that need no introduction include Snickers, Mars Bars, M&M’s, Milky Way, and Twix. It’s hard to believe that a single company owns most of the chocolates that are loved by everyone around the world!

3. Mars Inc. Sells Different Products in Different Countries

Milky Way and Mars Bars are 2 chocolates that we all know about. Did you know that the Milky Way that’s available in the US is the same as the Mars Bar in the UK? Although they aren’t the same, they’re quite similar.

Milky Way in the US is incredibly delicious. It's caramel and nougat coated in chocolate. Its name has been inspired by the malt milkshakes whose taste the creator was trying to mimic in a chocolate bar. If you’re traveling to the UK and hoping that you’ll find it there too, you’re in for some disappointment. In the UK, you’ll find Mars Bars. Mars Bar is similar to the Milky Way but not the same.

Another way the company confuses its consumers is the availability of the Milky Way bar, which isn’t Milky Way but a European version of 3 Musketeers bar.

All of these chocolate bars are produced and marketed by Mars Candy Company, but nobody can understand why the company doesn’t market the same products everywhere.

4. The Company Named 3 Musketeers Chocolate Bar for a Reason

3 Musketeers is another popular chocolate that Mars Company owns. It’s quite similar to the Milky Way, having nougat coated with rich chocolate. People often wonder why a bar of chocolate that’s so similar to another product by the same company has been named so differently. The chocolate bar has been named so because originally, this chocolate was sold as 3 separate pieces with 3 different flavors in the same package. This is where the roots of the 3 Musketeers lie.

5. Mars Company Doesn’t Own Just Chocolates

You may assume from the name that the company only owns Mars chocolates. The company hasn’t been named after its product. In fact, the company is a private family-owned business that was started by Franklin Mars and is named after the founder.

One interesting fact about Mars Company that you may not know is that the company doesn’t just own chocolates. Most people only know of the company as the owner of Mars, Snickers, and M&M’s. What you don’t know is that there’s a huge range of products that you may be using without knowing it’s from the Mars Company.

The company also owns numerous pet products. Some of the most popular ones are Whiskas cat food and Pedigree dog food. The company didn’t acquire these pet food brands. They established these brands themselves and take the pet food business as seriously as their chocolate business.

6. Mars Company Owns Uncle Ben’s

Uncle Ben’s is an instant rice company, but most people are unaware of the fact that this company is actually owned by Mars. The company wasn’t established by Mars, though. It’s been a few years since Mars acquired Uncle Ben’s. Everyone knows Uncle Ben’s instant rice, but they don’t know who owns the company!

Before the company acquired Uncle Ben’s, Uncle Ben’s faced a lot of backlash because of the logo and brand image that the company created. It depicted a black servant cooking for his white masters. The public found it outrageously racist. However, Mars Company tried to change that image.

The company modified the brand image by running a campaign where the black Uncle Ben was shown as the chairman of the brand who was responsible for overseeing all the matters regarding the brand. The bowtie that Uncle Ben wore before Mars acquired the company was retained to give the character its originality. The efforts that Mars Company made didn’t go unnoticed and were highly appreciated by Black Americans.

7. Mars Is Committed to Removing Artificial Dyes from Its Products

Chocolates aren’t really considered healthy. It might seem odd that a chocolate manufacturing company is taking steps to make its product healthier. While most health-conscious people would completely avoid chocolate due to the overload of sugars, the company wants to make sure that the people who do consume chocolates are at minimum risk.

For this reason, Mars Company promised to remove artificial dyes from all of its human products in 2016. They didn’t mention doing the same for animal products, but they’re certainly committed to making their human products safer and healthier.

It’s understandable if you feel like you know too little about Mars Company. The company owns some of the market-leading products that we’ve all been using without knowing who owns them. We’ve literally been undervaluing the company till now. But are we really to blame? Not really. The company has never really gone vocal about its achievements or what it has been up to. But now you know!

What You Didn’t Know About Snickers

Snickers is the perfect candy bar, without a doubt. The rich, creamy chocolate and the crunch of the nuts give this chocolate bar the perfect balance of taste and texture. Not only does Snickers taste amazing, it’s also quite filling!

If you think you know everything about Snickers now that you know who owns it, you’re highly mistaken. There’s plenty about the nutty chocolate that you don’t know, and some of these facts may even blow your mind!

Now that you know Snickers isn’t owned by Hershey but by Mars Company, let’s take you on another interesting, fact-filled journey that you’ll thoroughly enjoy!

1. Snickers are the Most-Selling Chocolate Bars

It shouldn’t come to you as a surprise that Snickers is the most-selling chocolate bar around the world. The massive sales worth $3.6 billion are definitely proof. Snickers is the most-loved and the bestselling chocolate in the world. After Snickers, we’ve got Cadbury Dairy Milk on the list, and then we’ve got Dove and Reese’s. Snickers have managed to stay on top despite the fierce competition in the chocolate industry.

2. Snickers was Named After a Horse

Have you ever wondered where the name Snickers comes from? We bet not! Most people don’t get into the details of the name of the things they like. Just like other candy bars with fancy names, you may have been assuming that Snickers is yet another name that has got no real meaning to it.

Well, you’re mistaken.

Snickers was actually named after a horse that the Mars family owned. It’s said that Snickers was the family’s favorite horse, and they named their chocolate after it out of love and in an attempt to add an element of fun! But don’t worry; there’s nothing in the chocolate that connects it to a horse, other than the name!

3. There’s a Peanut Limit in Each Bar

The manufacturer doesn’t just add peanuts to the Snickers bars randomly. It’s done with proper calculation and measurement. Would you believe it if we tell you that the number of peanuts in each bar of Snickers is exactly the same? We’re not kidding. Each regular-sized Snickers bar has got 16 peanuts to be exact!

4. There’s a Thing Called Snickers Salad

We haven’t come across many chocolates that can be used to make a salad. But there’s a thing called Snickers Salad that tastes absolutely divine. With Granny Smith apples, whipped cream, and Snickers bars, the Snickers Salad is one of the best snacks you’ll ever get to experience.

5. The Size of Snickers Was Reduced to Prevent People from Overeating

Imagine a company reducing the size of its product for the benefit of the consumers. Not many companies are that considerate. But Mars Company most definitely is! In 2009, the company made its chocolate bars smaller to help people not overeat. Since it’s next to impossible to stop munching on Snickers and one won’t stop until they’ve finished the bar, the company made the bars smaller and made things easier for the consumers! How very thoughtful!

6. Snickers was Formerly Marathon Bar

Snickers wasn’t named to be Snickers originally. It first hit the market as Marathon Bar. It was so named because of the high calorie count that helped athletes get an instant energy boost. There came the point when this chocolate went by both names. However, in 1990, the candy bar was officially renamed, and its name was changed to Snickers, which we still know today.

7. The Company Makes Over 15 Million Snickers Bars Every Day

To meet the massive demand for Snickers around the world, the company makes more than 15 million chocolate bars every day! The number is huge, but there’s a reason why Snickers never falls short in the market! We’ve got to give Mars some credit!

Snickers Owners Finally Opening Up

Mars Company is a privately-owned family business that has never really opened up in the century they’ve been in the business. However, the company realizes that the consumers today are different than the consumers of the past century. They prefer to make their purchases from companies that are open about how they work and provide their customers clarity about how ethical and sustainable their practices are.

Mars Company has finally decided to open up enough to gain the confidence of their consumers, not that they don’t have it now.

The Chairman of Mars Company, Stephen Badger, talked about some important issues, something the company has never done before.

He said that it’s important for the company to be less secretive today if they want to retain the confidence of the consumers and attract new talent. He also added that the world is facing numerous issues that pose a direct threat to the business, like climate change, inclusion and diversity of health, and supply chain. These are key issues that need to be addressed on priority. He felt like it was his responsibility to address them publicly so that the public knows the issues that hold significance near them are equally important for the company too.

At the same time, he also said that Mars Company will continue to be 100% private as it’s now because that gives the company an edge over its competitors and also provides them the flexibility they need to make impromptu decisions.

The company has a set plan for the next century. While it’ll continue to deliver the best products that it has been for the century they’ve been around, it’ll also introduce new products and services. The company’s focus on animal health and wellbeing seems to be dominating its future plans.

Apart from expanding its portfolio, the company is also planning to work on digital transformation that would help them connect with its consumers better.

The company is also looking into ways they can make its practices more sustainable. Since the company is primarily an agricultural company where they source their raw materials from farmers and then transform them into brands, if they aren’t able to make their practices more sustainable and environment-friendly, it’ll eventually affect their roots.

It’s the most Mars Company has opened up to the public in all the years they’ve been serving the world. While Snickers and Mars bars were all we knew the company for, there’s so much more to it than we knew. Mars Company has won the hearts of people around the globe with the absolutely divine and flavorful Snickers, but it looks like Snickers owners are already on a journey to make themselves known for things other than Snickers!