I remember being surprised that my Australian friends thought Cadbury was "great chocolate" in 2006 (before the Mondelez acquisition in 2010). That was the first time I got to sample it myself.

It never was as far as my base of comparison is concerned.

Maybe it got worse after the acquisition but by the chocolate standards set by the circumstances of my birthplace (Germany) and it's surroundings I was exposed to fantastic chocolate from an early age. My grandma only gave us Swiss chocolate for bdays/xmas.

It's simply what you know. Cadbury (or Mondelez) can't be blamed for offering a cheap product that somehow satisfies consumer expectations in their target markets.