Branding against the tides

CRAZY ABOUT PEOPLE ………..SERIOUS ABOUT CHOCOLATE

I wonder whether the Tony’s will correct me, as it should or could be?

I think it works both ways.

During my afternoon with the Tony Chocolonely bunch the friendly and open atmosphere encouraged us all to think different and to turn things downside up… a fertile ground for marketeers. Discussions whether the brand approach qualifies as disruptive or guerrilla marketing did not find a fertile discussion ground, branding and marketing are important however less than the cause:

Together we make chocolate 100{64e2b1c630d1b804acae72742503cf1c93037e55edbf5a21ff6c7915c01c0f5a} slave free

 

This objective stems from a strong rooted sense of justice and respect; so much the founder turned himself in for eating ill produced chocolate.

At Tony Chocolonely things are done differently, anything to create rumour around the brand, or so it seems. Recently the brand got in trouble with the financial press as it claimed to take the company to the stock exchange. In fact they ”merely” opened a store in the building where the Dutch East India Company traded stock in the 17th century. Going against the tides, making things deliberately imperfect, messing with the food color-codes is what Tony’s do. All derived from a passion to create a fair chocolate industry. By selling a maximum of delicious chocolate bars Tony will contribute to a fair income for chocolate farmers in West Africa. Hopefully this will make an end to child labour, soon. If this cause requires Tony’s to do things differently, crack the codes, tease the press, be a critical nut and change the rules of the game, than so be it.

So coming back to building the brand how is it done? This question was partly answered by Arjen “Tony” Klinkenberg. Arjen was part of the design team of the first chocolate bar wrapper. The proces was conducted in complete and utter freedom, no briefing, no restrictions just do it. Today, after 10 years the consistency is strong without any boring side effects. Good job, great things are created in freedom …………..and don’t ever behave, thats no fun.

Hopefully this text serves as a small reminder to do things slightly different today.

All opinions are my own and written under my responsibility. Dit stukje is op eigen initiatief getikt en geeft een persoonlijke indruk weer van een gedeelte van het open huis bij Tony Chocolonely.

Aldus Kate Maat Brandsparkle