With Halloween right around the corner, the Bates campus and student body are looking forward to welcoming back the Lewiston community for trick-or-treating for the second year. This year, the candy offerings will be slightly more specific. Through his job, one Bates alumnus has provided all 40,000 pieces of candy for the year.
Greg Guidotti ‘92 is the Chief Marketing Officer for Ferrara Candy Company and has been with the business for almost six years. Ferrara, a Chicago-based brand founded in 1908, is now the leader in sugar confections and is behind classic treats such as Trolli, Laffy Taffy, SweeTARTs, Jelly Belly and Nerds.
Guidotti is not new to the food marketing industry. After graduating from Bates in 1992 with an English major and Spanish minor, he immediately went into advertising as in client services. He worked as an account executive and creative and client liaison with brands “from Kraft Foods, to Tropicana, to Panasonic, to Quaker State Motor Oil.” But Guidotti soon realized that he wanted to be on the marketing side of things.
Kraft sponsored him to get his MBA at the University of Connecticut in 1999. Five years later, he joined Procter & Gamble, heading up Duracell marketing in Singapore and around Asia. He expanded the company from just three to twelve countries in his eight years with the company. In his time here, Guidotti said, he “grew the most as a marketer and business owner.” He also reported that it was wonderful to have his wife and three sons live there with him that it broadened all of their worldviews, and that his children particularly had a greater perspective.
Following this, he spent seven years where he led marketing for brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kool-Aid, and Capri Sun with Kraft-Heinz. Now, he is with Ferrara. After around a year and a half with the brand, he was part of the team that developed and launched the iconic Nerds Gummy Clusters, which took the sector from a 50 million dollar division to a 70 million dollar one in five years.
To Guidotti, his job is a “really, really fun business” and that candy is “about a memory.” Brachs, the seasonal subdivision of Ferrara sells treats like candy corn and candy canes. These holiday sweets evoke emotion, something Guidotti remarked. Food is a powerful tool of recollection and something like candy is often associated with childhood and family holidays.
Although it has been 32 years since he graduated, what Guidotti learned here never left. “Bates was foundational to who I am as a leader and business owner,” he said. He credited the college with giving him a growth mindset, teaching him to operate with empathy, and to “coach, communicate, and connect.”
Guidotti reflected fondly on his time at Bates and could not pick a favorite memory. Some that stand out however were his freshman floor in Wentworth Adams Hall where he and his friends would play games in the hallway. He also mentioned his participation on the soccer team, stating it was, “rewarding,” and his senior year house with his close friends.
Guidotti encourages students interested in marketing and business to make the most of their time here. “It is not your major that matters, as much as the impact that you make while at Bates, and how to apply yourself. Bates provides you with the platform…the “slate” to learn, challenge, synthesize and apply your knowledge.”
After the horrific events of Oct. 25, 2023, and the following few days, the trick-or-treating on campus brought the community together. Guidotti commented, “It was so inspiring to see how the community of Bates rallied to preserve the joy of Halloween to the families of Lewiston – and share the joy of trick-or-treating in a safe manner.”
Guidotti wanted to see the success of the Halloween festivities happen again. He first discussed the idea of donating candy from Ferrara with some Bates friends. Then, he brought it to the attention of President Jenkins during his visit to Chicago where he was then connected with Amy Jefferson and Eric Foushee. From the Ferrara side of things, Guidotti worked with the season team to identify the amount needed to fund the candy, the number of pieces, and the right types of candy. Ultimately, the selection will be Nerds, Nerds Gummy Clusters (classic and spooky), Laffy Taffy, SweeTarts, and Trolli.
The whole process came out to around $5,000. It was primarily donated by the class of ‘92 with help from ‘89, ‘90, ‘91, and ‘93. Social media and text group chats played a big role in getting this done, a testament to the benefits of modern technology and perpetuated interconnectedness. Guidotti utilized the Class of ‘92 Facebook page to mobilize his classmates who have all stayed close throughout the years. Guidotti himself stayed close to the college, working as an alumni in admissions.
Guidotti made sure to say that he is leading this effort as a Bates alumnus; it is not a formal, corporate initiative. He wants people in the community he cares about – Bates and the children of Lewiston – to be happy. To him, it is not about the company, rather it is just “the right thing to do.”
Hoping for another successful Halloween event, Guidotti said, “If something good can come out of something so terrible, that would be a reason to continue to do it.” He remarked that he would have every intention of leading the donation process again.
Guidotti ended by saying, “It’s a great day to be a Bobcat.”
