Dive Brief:
- Godiva hopes to keep its premium chocolate reputation but appeal to a wider range of consumers by being more congenial with a new holiday campaign.
- Godiva's "It's More Than Just Chocolate" campaign, developed with Pereira & O'Dell, is "introducing a new look and feel" for the brand in North America and hopes to express "a more emotional aspect of holiday," Marie Han Silloway, Godiva's chief brand equity and customer experience officer, told Ad Age.
- The company has changed up its typography to resemble that of a pastry chef decorating a cake and has taken the chocolates out of the boxes in stores for a more informal feel. Godiva is also embracing digital advertising, content, and influencer partnerships, including a digital video series highlighting one of the company's chefs discussing chocolate themes.
Dive Insight:
"Godiva in the past has probably come across as a little bit more formal, but with this campaign, we wanted to make sure we were tapping into a real, authentic look and feel that's more inviting," Han Silloway said.
Godiva introduced a line of more affordable products, such as soft serve ice cream, last fall in an attempt to appeal to an audience beyond wealthy consumers. The company wants to present itself as an "approachable luxury" that is both an indulgence and "perfect for every day," according to Han Silloway.
While Godiva may be trying to appeal more widely to consumers, companies are finding a boom in the premium chocolate market. "Premium chocolate accounts for about 8% of all U.S. market chocolate sales, and the segment has seen double-digit growth in recent years, according to Candy Industry, a publication that covers the confectionery industry," USA TODAY reported.
In time for the holidays, Hershey released its premium Hershey's Kisses Deluxe, which is twice the size of the standard Hershey's Kisses with a hazelnut center and rice crisps in the chocolate. This product marks the most significant innovation for the Kisses brand since introducing almonds to the chocolate 25 years ago.
Nestle also announced in October that the company was expanding its premium chocolate brand Cailler beyond Switzerland for the first time and introducing the brand to the U.S., U.K., and German markets through a partnership with Amazon and travel retail outlets in Geneva, Zurich, Dubai, and Singapore.