Chuao chocolate target

Around the 1850’s chocolate had been introduced into the world and has been a growing commodity amongst consumers globally ever since. The delicious product is one that has been a longtime popular favorite, and as the years go on, it continues to expand and change along the flow with of demand and changes in the world. In the sea of different brands and producers of chocolate, Chuao Chocolatier company is one that stands out amongst the rest, taking their inspiration and some of their recipes from a criollo cacao plantation that was once their small family farm. Chuao takes the expanding and creativity areas of chocolate to a whole new level producing treats that are unusual, unexpected, and made of a higher quality and standard. Founded in 2002 by two Venezuelan brothers, more famously Chef Michael Antonorsi, Chuao has appealed to those consumers who prefer the higher quality, uniqueness that chocolate has grown to offer. Many of their types of chocolate require a more sophisticated palette such as their Orange-A-Go-Go and Maple Bacon chocolate bars while others appeal to the simpler flavors such as the Honeycomb Bar. The unique flavors pay off as Chuao has seen a large expansion in business, with the company earning the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. This award almost single handedly placed Chuao Chocolatiers on the map. Starting off as just a small cafe located in California, they now have two cafes in San Diego as well as an online website where they expedite chocolate nationally, and they even sell chocolate in local stores such Target, Whole Foods, and Publix. Due to the higher quality of Chuao's chocolate the prices tend to be marginally greater than their competitors, though their target markets are those that can afford a small luxury item.

Normally marketing towards the more mature end of the chocolate market, our group was tasked with creating a product that is marketable to both upscale flourishing family’s children, as well as their parents. The first priority of the group was to understand the Chuao business model, in order to think and act as it would. With the mission statement “A commitment to create unusual, unexpected, and delicious flavors using our secret blend of premium chocolate.” taken into consideration, our group set out to introduce a fun and creative product that has a focus target of children. The group’s primary consideration with the conceptualization stage of the project was the flavor profile of our bar. This was less difficult than expected, as the combination flavors familiar to children accomplished the two-pointed goal of design for children and design for adults. Following Design was distribution, and the ways in which the product could be shipped indirectly to the customer. Chuao’s main method of sale is electronically from their site, that factor allowed the group to focus on the retail portion of the business. Given the distribution of the target population, and the availabilty of the necessary facilities, the group determined the ten best options for storage and further distribution of the product. To conclude with our development the group had to come up with all relevant costs associated with the manufacturing and shipping of the product.

Product Scope

The primary goal for our product was to be marketable to upscale families with a focus on their children. With that in mind the group had to primary design goals of: simple and familiar flavors that children love, and combinations of such that will entice parents interest. The early “prototypes” included: Fluffernutter, Graham Cracker and peanut butter; almond marshmallow chocolate, and banana chip. Carrying these ideas into the design kitchen, the group tested several combinations of flavors, removing the weak combinations and readjusting those that were well received. The result was a candy bar that was a unique combination of fiery cinnamon, mellow marshmallow, sweet milk chocolate. This was the conclusion based on the concept that children would enjoy having a candy with familiar flavors rolled into one, and their parents would be drawn by the complex flavor profile created by the said combination. On the macro level, this product is designed to broaden the consumer base of Chuao Chocolatiers in the long run. By introducing the brand to the new market of children, and by proxy their parents, the new customers may be inclined to test the other offerings of the company. These factors considered together will increase the consumer base of Chuao Chocolatiers, and evolve the strategy to encompass further expansions.

Mission and Goals

Chuao Chocolatier’s marketing model originates from their philosophy that “unusual flavor combinations are at the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s unique experience.” (cite chuao website). The company’s marketing style is centred on the idea that at a glance, the potential consumer should understand exactly what to expect. This is evident with the simple color scheme that is unique to each flavor, and accompanied by a picture that visually predicts the flavor of the bar. This simple design philosophy stems from Chuao’s origins as a small company, and their need for simplistic packaging. Chuao Chocolatier is oriented in such a way that their production design provides to the needs of a targeted portion of the chocolate market while simultaneously establishing their reputation of creative design (Lamb/Hair/McDaniel, 2013, p.5). Examples of their efforts to design for the specialty chocolate market include their “Spicy Maya bar” which combined chile, cinnamon, and cayenne, mixed with high quality dark chocolate. Customers are willing to pay the higher price of the product due to Chuao’s sales tactics focusing on their reputation for quality and creativity (Lamb/Hair/McDaniel, 2013, p.5). The company’s design encompases more than just their product, as is evident by the simple combination of magenta and white. Besides giving the page a clean, romantic, and youthful look, it also acts on the human psyche. Psychologists have found that color plays a large role in consumers mind when considering a product or branding, and potentially association with other companies. Quoting Brian Honigman of the Huffington post, “Psychologists have studied how people are affected by colors for years and found a strong correlation between colors and emotional responses, further driving home the point that choosing the right color is crucial in determining how your brand is viewed” (Honigman, 2013).