Influx

Once regarded as a guilty pleasure reserved for special occasions, gourmet chocolate is becoming an everyday experience. Increased usage is a result of growing beyond the food category to include health, home and beauty products.

While other products in the snack category have declined in revenue from the impact of diet trends, premium chocolate has been largely unaffected. In fact, consumers are beginning to discover the health benefits of chocolate, which include an array of antioxidants that have been shown to give some protection against cancer. Below are some examples.

does chocolate qualify as a health food?

Origins launched the Jacques Torres cocoa therapy@ line, boasting that it’s “natures original therapist.” They also report that pure cocoa contains vitamins, minerals and natural mood-boosters.

origins

Bissingers markets a 7-piece selection of Spa Chocolate that has been personally selected by Connie Dickman, a licensed, registered dietitian. Here, they give you a weeks worth of health benefits.

spa chocolate

Richart encourages consumers to shop by mood and occasion, such as, “create it myself”; “dream”; “at home” and “pairing.” “Pairing” teaches how to enrich the taste experience by partnering with other foods and drink, while “dream” re-creates emotional experiences captured in a book titled, chocolat mon amour.

richart

This trend is grounded in the macro-trend of small indulgences. We live in a fast-paced, high stress, economically challenging culture. And today, women have a multiplicity of roles, from career, family, friend and community participant. Given this, the need to self-reward is becoming even more important. It’s about having “me time” and a balanced approach to living, which includes the things we love, like chocolate.

From a marketing perspective, this is an example of a multi-sensory product experience. It’s a way to demonstrate all of the functional and emotional benefits of the product, and to increase frequency of consumption and expand the target audience. More importantly, a new social framework for perceiving chocolate is being created.