Candy corn is one of most enduring symbols of Halloween—and the subject of more social media buzz than any other type of Halloween candy—according to the NetBase Brand Passion Index, which measures the intensity of consumer passion for brands among users of online communities.

However, although the 130-year-old candy dominates Halloween "treat"-related conversations online, not all the buzz is positive.

The October Brand Passion Index* measured Halloween treat-related consumer insights around popular candies: Candy corn, M&Ms, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Skittles, Sweet Tarts, and Tootsie Rolls.

Conversations about candy corn accounted for the plurality (35%) of total Halloween treat-related conversations online, and 78% of those conversations were positive.

What did consumers love more than candy corn? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups! Although Reese's generated less social buzz, accounting for some 19% of treat-related conversations online, 91% of those found were positive.

In the graphic above, the amount of sentiment and chatter about a brand is indicated by the size of the bubble, whereas the placement of the bubble shows the intensity of passion.

Interestingly, in a similar analysis conducted in 2011, candy corn generated less than 1% of online buzz. The big increase in 2012 (34 percentage points) is likely due to the launch of new candy-corn flavored products this year by the Oreo, Jelly Belly, and M&Ms brands.

Favorite Holiday

Some 94% of US kids age 5-13 go trick-or-treating and among them, nearly two in three (65%) say Halloween is the best holiday of the year, according to separate research by PopGames and The American Dental Association (ADA).