As we get back to work after the holidays we see remnants of the season like the dead Christmas tree in the lobby, the cards still decorating our cubes, and random chocolate-covered peppermint sticks that pop up out of nowhere – which begs the question. Does anybody eat candy canes anymore?

I for one, don’t. They’re a pain to open, you have to use your teeth, and you’re almost guaranteed to get a mouthful of cellophane. Not to mention the never-ending struggle of peeling back the wrapper just right so you don’t break the freakin’ thing. And maybe it’s just me, but they seem awfully dangerous to be giving to kids. We all know how sharp they can get and how clumsy kids can be. With all that baggage, a candy cane better taste like steak. Or gravy. Or something besides peppermint for god’s sake.

But the point of this post isn’t to blast candy canes so much as to analyze the business problem of the brand and intended solution that is the chocolate-covered peppermint stick.

We can safely assume that the challenge for the candy cane brand was to create an appeal for itself in a world that clearly doesn’t value it the way it once did. Let’s face it – candy canes will probably never be the treat people look forward to enjoying with their families once a year ever again. Especially not with today’s holiday goody options like triple-decadent peanut-covered chocolate fudge bites. So naturally Candy Cane Inc. would feel pressure to adapt to the times and try its hand at product innovation. Thus the chocolate-covered peppermint stick that sits in front of me.

But is dipping a candy cane in chocolate enough to salvage the brand? Possibly. Although I personally don’t find adding chocolate to it enough to make a candy cane worthy of traditional consumption, I would certainly use it to stir my coffee. Think about it – it’s the exact size of a lame wooden stick, only it doesn’t leave splinters in my coffee and it makes it all mint-chocolaty tasting. Seriously, why hasn’t the candy cane industry thought of this idea yet? You could package these and sell them with bulk coffee supplies. I know that would be enough to get me out of bed in the morning. Now, not only have you given me a cool new candy cane product, you’ve demonstrated a use for it that has satisfied a consumer need.

So is the chocolate-covered peppermint stick the answer to the brand’s problem? I guess we’ll find out. One thing is for sure – you can’t fault the brand for trying and in doing so, refusing to accept a certain, slow death in Grandma Josephine’s candy dish buried in dust.