Stephen and Dave stroll down memory lane to discover just how the Willy Wonka bar came to be. Dave was a little disappointed. But you won't be. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not-so-secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I'm Stephen's sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today's episode, a word from our sponsor, which is, well, it's us, but we're highlighting ads we've written and produced for our clients. So here's one of those. [Waukee Feet Ad] Dave Young: Welcome back to the Empire Builders Podcast. Dave Young here alongside Stephen Semple. And the topic whispered in my ear this morning was one that Stephen reminded me that I requested because we've- Stephen Semple: And you've remembered so well. Dave Young: That's the fun part of being me is I like to hide my own Easter eggs. We have talked about so many brands of chocolate, and I think I mentioned that sometime we need to talk about Wonka. Stephen Semple: Yes. Dave Young: And I kind of wish you'd told me beforehand because I'd go back and watch the movie just for the fun of it. I haven't watched the latest one, the Timothée Chalamet or whatever. Stephen Semple: I watched it on a flight recently because it was one of those ones where I didn't want to run the risk of spending the money and going to the theater for it. Dave Young: Sure. Yeah. Stephen Semple: So I was on a flight and it was one of the movies, and I thought, "Oh, I'll watch this." And it was actually a good rendition. It's the prequel, is how it's set. Dave Young: Oh, it's the origin story. Stephen Semple: It's the origin story, and it's good. Dave Young: Oh, cool. Stephen Semple: It's good. I enjoyed it. Dave Young: I'm going to have to watch it. Stephen Semple: I thought they did a nice job of it. Yeah. Dave Young: Well, we're actually recording these on a Saturday morning. Maybe I'll talk to Julie and see if we can watch Wonka this afternoon. Stephen Semple: I think you'd enjoy it. Dave Young: It might be kind of fun. Stephen Semple: I think you'd enjoy it. Dave Young: So what'd you find out? I'm dying to know. Was there really a golden ticket? Stephen Semple: Well, you're just going to have to wait and see. Dave Young: Did he really dress that way? Stephen Semple: It's the late 1960s, and the candy business is in a bit of a slump. There hasn't been really much innovation. It's completely controlled by Mars and Hershey at this point. Dave Young: Probably the American Dental Association had just formed. Stephen Semple: And what we've got is we've got this food executive, Kenneth Mason, who's looking to shake things up at Quaker Oats. He's an executive at Quaker Oats. And Quaker Oats is famous for oatmeal and Cap'n Crunch cereal. Dave Young: And the old Quaker dude in the hat staring at you from the box. Sure. Stephen Semple: Yeah, that's it. And Kenneth Mason sees a bigger opportunity. Now, he graduated with a degree in English from Yale before going into the food business, and he has aspirations to become president of Quaker. And he's about to head into candy. So he goes, "You know what? I really want to make a big splash in this division." Because in the 1960s, candy is boring, there's no new innovation, there's no advertising going on. Mason believes, "This is my opportunity to create the next new thing, make my mark, and become president of the company." But he needs a launching pad to create that splash. And he's read the book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and it inspires him what to do. And this idea went on to become a $2.8 billion business. Wonka is a big deal. But it starts with this book that's about to become a film,
