This document outlines branding strategies for a chocolate factory called Chocopolis in Brussels, Belgium. It identifies the objectives as developing a strong brand through understanding customers and competitors. Market research found customers were tourists from Europe and North America who discovered Chocopolis by chance. Strategies proposed targeting emerging markets, using alternative promotion channels, and engaging customers personally. The strategies aim to leverage Chocopolis' strengths around quality Belgian chocolate while addressing weaknesses like limited distribution. Overall the strategies seek to determine Chocopolis' permanence in the market by matching resources to external factors.

1. Main strategies to develop a
brand for a chocolate factory
in Brussels Belgium 2012
Susana Paredes
ICHEC Brussels Management School, September 2012

2. The objectives
1. Identify and prioritize strategies to develop a
strong brand for the company
2. Define customer’s profile: origin, occupation and
reason to visit Brussels
3. Recognize customer’s motivations to visit the
shop
4. Learned about the media preference among
customers
5. Identify customer’s perception of the shop and
service

3. How to achieve the objectives?
Identification of customer’s Market
profile & perception of the brand research
Investigation of competitive Strategic
environment and company offer analysis
Determination of distinctive
competences
Develop strategies

4. Consumer Market Research Results
• Tourists coming from France, Spain, USA,
Germany, the UK and the Netherlands.
• Found Chocopolis by chance, while they were
wandering around the city looking for Belgian
chocolates
• Main source of information is internet
• What they liked most of Chocopolis: chocolate
and service

5. SWOT Matrix Chocopolis
INTERNAL FACTORS STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES
1. Central location of shop, dow ntow n Brussels next 1. Small new company w ith 6 years in the market
to main touristic attactions
2. Factory and shop located at same facility, no
transportation or freezing involved 2. Limited distribution points: 2 boutiques in Brussels
3. Tradition of handmade production 3. No branding strategy
4. Online sales available 4. Actions oriented to sales rather to marketing
5. Quality product made of 100% cocoa butter 5. High debt level due to recent investment
6. Friendly and costumer oriented sales staff 6. Company has no w ebsite
EXTERNAL FACTORS 7. Building frontage is not attractive
OPPORTUNITIES SO WO
1. Consumer more conscious w ith personal finance affects 1. Special live demonstrations for tourists 1. Develop company website ( 03, W6)
brand loyalty contacted by tour operators in their home 2. Use online marketing to build up brand
2. Seven million tourists visit Belgium every year country (S1,S6,O2) awareness (O3, W3,W4)
3. Internet leading source of information for tourists 2. Target emerging eastern european 3. Renew building's frontage and exterior
4. Sustainability important driver in consumer purchasing countries using new distribution channels displays (O2,W8)
decisions (S5, O5) 4. Find commercial partners to enter eastern
5. Emerging countries attractiveness due to increasing 3. Build brand identity based on distinctive european markets (O5,W2)
middle class disposable income and low chocolate competence (S3, O1)
consumption rate per capita 4.Offer customer to order online chocolate
6. Customization has become a leading trend in bars tailored to their own taste (S3, S4, O6)
manufacturing
THREATS ST WT
1. Cocoa products w ith up to 5% of vegetal fats are 1. Promote online sales in Asia and Eastern 1. Use alternative promotional channels to
considered chocolate leveling the quality of the product European countries (S4, T6, T2) engage consumers (W2,T6)
2. Potential saturation of chocolate market in Western 2. Create a communication program to teach 2. Target niches not attended by the
Europe and the US costumers about the meaning of 100% competitors with customized products (W3,
3. Four companies dominate the industrial chocolate supply cocoa products (S3,S5, T1) W4,T2)
in Belgium
3. Open a shop in Bruges (W2, T6)
4. Leading companies in the sector are multinationals w ith
several years in the market
5. Competitors have developed strong brands
6. Competitors have multiple distribution channels

6. Chocopolis Distinctive Competences
• Preserves Belgian tradition of
handmade chocolates
• High quality product
• Personalized service
• Taste matches for the
discerning international
palate

7. Brand Identity Proposal
Brand Image Brand Identity Brand Position
Great flavor, beautiful Not the biggest Belgian handmade
shop and excellent worldwide chocolatier, chocolate, synonym of
service. but the true Belgian craft and quality, for the
flavor. discerning international
palate.

8. Target Market
Primary
Tourists
Consumers
Secondary
• Tourists from Latin America an Eastern Europe
• Retail investors
• Companies
• Special occasion consumers

9. Strategies
1. Organized in two groups:
short term priory 3 years,
long term 5 years
2. Oriented to target
emerging markets, use
alternative promotional
channels and develop
closer relationship with
customers.
3. Tend to match internal
resources to external
factors

10. Conclusions
1. Branding has become key issue to determine Chocopolis
future.
2. Customers’ profile: internet savvy tourists, from France,
Spain, USA, Germany, the Netherlands and UK, whose
most appreciated characteristics in a chocolate are taste,
price and service.
3. Chocopolis customers’ arrived to the boutique by chance
thus the need to work actions to call their attention.
4. Brand image, brand identity and brand positioning
harmony.
5. Distinctive competence of Chocopolis will lead branding
strategies.
6. Manage strengths to target emerging markets, use
alternative promotional channels and engage consumers
at a personal level.
7. Match internal resources and skills to external factors,
converting weaknesses and threats into opportunities to
determine permanency in the market.

11. Recommendations
1. Innovation
2. Brand proposal economic evaluation
3. Strategies could be used as framework
4. Corporate analysis to develop long term
strategic plan
5. Keep regular market consumer market research
6. Detailed reports for Chocopolis management to
engage

12. THANK YOU