ambrosia -...
TRANSCRIPT
ambrosiaChocolate Maker
INDEPENDENT PROJECT
Marketing Plan
Ambrosia specializes in combining fine chocolate made with the most precious ingredient – the cocoa bean, which are then carefully combined with selected & complementary flavours of the world
to suit every unique palette such as hot chilli pepper, banana and curry. Ambrosia offers Dark, Milk or White Chocolate and pairs them
perfectly with unique ingredients to complement our fine chocolate.
Ambrosia cocoa beans are sourced directly from the cocoa farmers,
who have a commitment to cultivating the highest quality cocoa beans.
Ambrosia’s heavenly flavoured chocolates are sold either individually, by the box set or gift basket (varying in size and price points) with
the option to be pared with customers choice of wine or champagne to suit their special occasion and to best bring out our chocolate
flavours. Ambrosia also offers a variety of beautiful boxes and bags to choose from including a selection of custom tags and stickers to
add a personal message, logo or name.
We offer workshops to clientelle at our Riverside, Toronto location where they can come and experience the creation of unique chocolate
flavours and to share it with a loved one (the perfect V-Day git / Bachelorette / Birthday / etc). Book a private party of 3 - 8 with friends,
family and/or clients.
Currently Ambrosia has 27 mouth watering and unique flavours to choose from PLUS vegan, sugar-free and glutten free options so that everyone can enjoy the experience of our hand-made fine flavoured chocolate.
Did you know cocoa beans aren’t really beans? They’re seeds from a fruit that grows on a tree whose botanical name means, quite fittingly, “fruit of the gods.” – Ambrosia.
ambrosia
Company
Persona One His Story:
Scott is the Director of Client Services of a well known ad agency located in Toronto. His day consists
of meetings (morning, lunch and well into the evenings) where he makes things happen, keeps people happy, puts
out fires and enjoys basking in the rewards his hard work brings him in the form of awards, praise and
recognition. He enjoys surprising his wife, Fiona, with her favourite chocolate combination of unique flavours
not only on special occasions but any other day of the week. He’s planning to surprise Fiona with a weekend workshop
to make their own chocolate and enjoy complementary champaign. The occasion: because he loves her. Scott always makes sure to have
a box in his office to share with clients, there’s a flavour everyone is sure to love, he also enjoys seeing their reaction to something they’ve
never experienced before.
“I appreciate quality of over quantity
when it comes to everyhting in life...time
with family, great food and wine.
I savour every moment.”
Scott Nielson
Location: Toronto (Summerhill)
Occupation: Client Services Director
Age: 48
Family: Husband and father
Education: Masters in Business
Income: 145,000 + Bonuses
Disability: None
His Needs:
• To impress company clients
• To remind his wife that he’s
thinking of her
• Quality product rolled into one
beautiful product & presentation
• To show out of the ordinary &
thoughful thinking
• To satisfy his own curious,
adventurous and fun side
His Traits
• Spontaious
• Adventureous
• Social / Extravert
• Cultured
• Charming
• Difficult to please at times
His Values & Goals
• Quality over quantity
• Showing appreciation
• Making new discoveries
• Building company business
• Staying current
• To work hard and play hard
• Achievement
• Creativity
His Hobbies
• Cooking
• Baking
• Wine tasting
• Painting
• Mountain biking
• Niagara on the Lake B&B
“The renaissance man on a mission”
ambrosia
TECHNOLOGY USE: MEDIA USE:
Persona Two
“People think I have it all but don’t see
the work that goes into the things I have,
I do have it all, I work hard for it, I plan
for the future and I remember to treat and
reward myself for a job well done.”
Anita Becket
Location: Toronto (College Park)
Occupation: Small Business Owner,
Flower Shop (King and Jarvis)
Age: 27
Family: Engaged (to Sean Murphy)
Education: Floriculture Diploma,
Masters in Fine Arts
Income: 400,000 Yearly Sales,
45,000 Salary, 45,000 Profit
Disability: None
Her Story:
Anita brightens a room when she walks in, much like her flower arrangements do for her clients, they’re
an extension of her personality. She’s the kind of person you feel comfortable divulging your personal life
to yet you’ve only just met ten minutes ago. She’s knowledgable, curious, ambitious and isn’t afraid of a
challenge. She’s also in love and looking forward to building a life with her soon to be husband Sean. Even with
her busy schedule she’s planning her own wedding (down to the Canada Post stamp) to reflect her personal style. Anita
adds her personal touch to just about everything, her gifts are thoughtful, she hand writes thank you and happy birthday cards to her
clients, she’s always thinking of the other person and does so because it’s in her nature to care not expect anything in return, but a thank you is
always appreciated.
Her Needs:
• To endulge in a treat as a reward
for her hard work
• quality and
beautiful product
• To be pampered and to pamper
• Unique ideas to improve her
own businesss product & brand
• Personalized ideas for her
wedding and her clients
Her Traits
• Imaginative
• Driven
• Ambitious
• Planner
• Independent
• Reliable
• Empath
• Perfectionist
Her Values & Goals
• Values authenticity
• Beauty & quality in all things
• Prioitises time for family / friends
• To establish her shop and her
brand in the market
• Best customer service
• Creative outlets
• Pleasureable experiences
Her Hobbies
• Makes her own Potpourri
• Collects unusual recipes
• Hosts dinner parties
• Surprising her loved ones with
thoughtful gifts to brighten
their day
• Exploring her city and what
it has to offer, specifically new
business ventures
• Chocolate
• Blogging about new ideas
“The ambitious rising star”
ambrosia
TECHNOLOGY USE: MEDIA USE:
CompetitorOne
Chocolateria
The Chocolateria quitely opened in Roncesvalles in 2010. Tim English who at 45 traded his corporate law suit and tie in for a chef’s apron.
With a couple of pastry and confectionary courses from George Brown under his belt, he decided to put his sweet tooth to work and open
an old-school chocolate shop with only a couple pastry and confectionary courses from George Brown under his belt.
“Roncesvalles was an up-and-coming neighbourhood at the time and it was a great opportunity for businesses like this to come in,”. Tim
found his perfect spot along the retail strip. The neighbourhood, his story and his obvious passion has created a booming business for him.
“...It’s more about the taste and the flavour than the look of it.”
It’s a small shop and with good quality, made in-house chocolate that is fairly priced, in par with Ambrosia. They offer unique options such
as dark and spicy bars, mint wafers, dark chocolate covered pretzels to name a few. They also offer samples of their chocolates and treats on
occasion, Ambrosia does on a daily basis with every fresh batch of chocolate creations.
Chocolateria would be a competitor in that they’re also a niche chocoate shop that focuses on specialty fine chocolate with rare
combinations and targets the crowd Amrbosia is after as well. They’re urbanites, in-the-know and expect quality product. Chocolateria
also offers variety of flavour / food combinations however doesn’t focus on different exotic flavours nor the packaging it comes
in (custom or not). It also doesn’t adhere to brand guidelines if they have any. This is an area that Amrosia would differenciate
itself and that we offer gift cards, promotions and loyalty programs. Ambrosia’s products are also made in-house and
offers workshops and contests, the customer has more options, not just chocolate and treats, the whole package
deal including excellent customer service.
ambrosia
SOMA Chocolatemaker
In 2003 David Castellan and Cynthia Leung came up with the idea of a small, funky chocolate factory. The concept: finding new ways to create
and enjoy chocolate. They now have 2 shops and a small chocolate factory in Toronto. Their producs vary from chocolate, cookies, truffles,
gelato to hot chocolate and new creations are always in the works.
Their first space was a in tiny corner of a former whisky distillery. Fast forward to the future they’ve grown to 2 stores, a small chocolate
factory, a network of wholesalers, and a small team of talented people they’re proud to work along side with. They have a love and curiosity of
all things chocolate and continue to seek out great cacao beans and explore more ingredients. They offer wedding favours, tastings, corporate
gifts, special events, custom chocolate, chocolate for chefs, they blog about everything chocolate and have an online store. The site is beautiful,
simple to navigate and product photography is stunning.
Soma is currently Ambrosia’s biggest competitor. They have a great online presence, variety of products and they take pride in their team.
Their locations are in some of the most lucrative locations money could rent in Toronto but also some of the most expensive.
Due to Ambrosia’s location being off-the-beaten path we save on overhead/rent costs which affect the cost of our products making them more
affordable. We’re in an up-and-coming neighbourhood (Riverside) which will get it’s own ‘free’ publicity, this in itself is creating a buzz. Soma
doesn’t hold workshops or host private parties, doesn’t cater and doesn’t have any vegan, gluten-free or sugar-free options, we’re inclusive
of these groups and have a selection for them to choose from.
ambrosia
CompetitorTwo
Godiva Chocolatier
Godiva Chocolatier is a manufacturer of premium fine chocolates and related products. Godiva, founded in Belgium in 1926. Godiva owns
and operates more than 600 retail boutiques and shops in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia and is available via over 10,000
speciality retailers.
In addition to chocolates, Godiva also sells truffles, coffee, cocoa, biscuits, dipped fruits and sweets, chocolate liqueur, shakes, wedding and
party favors and other items arranged in gift baskets. Godiva also produces seasonal and limited-edition chocolates with special packaging for
major holidays. Godiva also has license agreements for the production of ice cream, cheesecake, coffee pods and liqueur that comes in several
chocolate-related flavors. Products are also available in sugar-free and Kosher varieties.
There’s no question that Godiva is a a popular and well established brand in the market. They’re a competitor however not a direct one.
Ambrosia is a small, family owned company and we offer a personal experience, attainable and relatable. We’re a part of a small but developing
community in the Riverside area of Toronto. We focus and specialize in hand-made and uniquely flavoured chocolates for a particular target
that appreciates and supports out-of-the-box (pun intended) ideas.
CompetitorThree
ambrosia
Strengths
• ability to sell products online
• clean, easy to navigate website with delicious product
photography
• unique / daring / rare / fun flavours with new ones always
in the making
• hand made in-house
• people want to work here, great morale, great people
• Ambrosia is a lifestyle & believes in team work
• part of a developing community
• use the highest quality cocoa beans
• stunning packaging - option to customize
• can hold private parties / functions of up to 8 people
• soley focused on chocolate products paired with unique
ingredience. no one else is strictly offering this, their
products are watered down with cookies and cakes, etc.
s.w.o.tAnalysis
• have top chocolateer staff on team
• located in up and coming neighbourhood
• hand made / family run boutique
• impecible customer service
• offer daily samples
• cross promotions with paired wine / champagne
• only one like it in the area-no immediate competition
• something for everyone in price point and flavour options
(from the least to most daring)
• vegan, gluten free, sugar free selections
• great brand position and quality which is consumer
favorite
• developing good skills, processes and ways of working
• motivating our team and rewarding winning performance
• varying price points in the range of everyone ‘s purchase
• easy access to store location via car and public transit
S
ambrosia
Weaknesses
• lack of product variety as other brands have (cakes, candy, chocolate milk)
• should have more than one location, also larger especially for private functions
• no loyalty programs as of yet
• no current nutritional food guide (government regulation)
• limited startup costs
• small staff
• vulnerable to head chef being sick or last minute emergencies
• flavours / combinations may be perceived to ‘weird’ and there’s ‘nothing for me’ attitute
• competition can offer similar products quickly
• limited flexibility in pricing
• high transportation cost
• little budget for advertising
• relying on other business/companies to open in area to bring traffic
• new location/area is still in development
• we’re chocolatiers and lack the business side knowledge of the business
s.w.o.tAnalysis
W
ambrosia
Opportunities
• create delicious brand / logo / website that is memorable
• develop loyalty / acquisition / retention programs
• engage people, annual competition of new flavour
• create library of stunning photography
• provide nutritional food guide with health benefits -
Emotional and Physical (not only from chocolate...ie. curry
spice good for immune system)
• introduce low cal / vegetarian / vegan options for
health conscious
• build online presence
• offer more common combination flavours in addition
to exhisting selection
• continued expansion for online sales
• ability to develop additional stores
• affiliate relations with related vendors
• cross promotions
• hire more staff (on-call)
s.w.o.tAnalysis
• offer internships to top students from top culinary
community schools (ie. George Brown)
• get involved in community – donate time / chocolate to
less fortunate (Christmas time)
• become the leader in unique flavoured chocolates
• not only pair up chocolate flavours but other products
to match ours (ie. wine, flowers, candles...for all the senses,
taste and smell)
• introduce strict code of conduct that includes virtues like
integrity, honesty, respect and quality
• Ambrosia dark chocolate offers various advantages from
health point of view
• greater customer loyalty ensures the continuous growth
of company
• produce more eco friendly products
• explore other segments of candy industry with variety
of non chocolate products (ie. cookies, drinks, flavours for
Chefs to include in their own creations)
O
ambrosia
Threats
• rent increase
• another chocolate / desert place could open next door or in the area
• bigger players have major position in the market - been around longer & have presence
• highly qualified and better staffed employees in big brand chocolate companies
• others have big budgets to invest in advertisement
• damand may be greater then we can produce and leave customers dissapointed - wait time, quality suffering, etc.
• health conciousness on a constant rise
• overly weighted to one kind of product
• big / established brands can introduce unique flavours and pairings to ours
• declining health in people - increase of diabetes (demand for chocolate decreases)
• the fluctuating price of cocoa in different parts of the world effect production of choco products
• decreasing natural resources (ie. high cost of sugar/mils, agricultre land)
• criticism from various segments of society regarding lack policies for purchase of cocoa
s.w.o.tAnalysis
T
ambrosia
BrandPositioning
Ambrosia was created for person who dances to the beat of their own drum, a person who does what is in sync with their own being and
identity, following their own principles and what they are comfortable with. This person is a creative soul, driven by passion, practices
gratitude and is adventurous at the core. S/he savours moments in their life and embraces new methods, ideas & experiences and wants to
share these discoveries with those around him/her.
It is for this person that we offer the finest quality of delicious, hand made chocolate combined with the highest quality of perfectly paired
flavours that are sure to awaken their senses. We couple these winning combinations with personalized, honest, caring service and wrap it
in equally gorgeous presentation.
Ambrosia is a family owned company, fully licensed, food-handlers certified professional chocolatears and promise to follow a strict code of
conduct that includes virtues like integrity, honesty, creative excellence, respect and quality.
ambrosia
Action PlanFour P ’s
Price
• Targeting mid to high income consumers.
• A wide range of products from individual chocolates to various sized box sets, gift baskets and private events allows Ambrosia to charge
a range of price points
• Product price points will start at $1.75 for one individual chocolate. Loyalty card will allow customer to collect points to redeem towards
future purchases. (ie. Receive 25 points for every $5 spent – redemable points will start at 100 for small Ambrosia products, or save your
points to redeem for larger items). They never expire!
• Price will differ based on quantity / size / type of product and on chosen packaging - personalized vs regular (option to personalize with name
or logo on tags , stickers, and ribbons)
• Customers are ready to spend on quality, hand-made chocolates and impeccable customer service.
• Products coupled with wine / champagne will be charged accordingly – depending on selected products
• The price of the product will also depend on the packaging (customized or not) and whether it’s from the vegan, sugar-free or
gluten-free products
• Ambrosia packaging is eco friendly for the environmentally concious customers that are willing to pay a little extra for this reason
• We offer sugar & gluten free and vegan options, it’s a one stop butique chocolate shop for all your friends and family. A similar product
in one of these categories would be an additional fee as quantities are less but product and convenience are worth it.
ambrosia
Action PlanFour P ’s Online:
• Ambrosia Website – High-end & beautifuly designed and coded
website with relevant content (Producs / News / Blog / Reviews / Our
Team / Store)
• Banner Ads – Facebook, NowToronto, Toronto Life
• Pintrest – beautiful and unusual pairings of chocolate and ingredience
make for eye catching pics
• Twitter page - What are some of your favourite pairings you think
people should try? Tag us and a friend at ‘#myperfectpair’ ____ and
_____ are the perfect flavours together!
• Groupon Coupon – Offer discout for first time customers (time
senstitive)
• LinkedIn – Contact complementary busnisses to pair up, ie. Flower
Shops (Can contact the unusual company pairings also, ie, high end car
dealerships - can gift their customers our chocolates upon car purchase)
• Google Adwords – Bring page above others
• Blog – About flavours, new recipes, ideas for gifts for various occasions
• Newsletter – To subscribers about coming flavours, seasonal ideas,
recipes, promotions, discounts and more
Offline:
• Boutique Store – location in up-and-coming area with a small /
intimate sitting area at the front and workshop at the back
• Outside - Distribute samples with coupons (lunch time crowd) just
outside of shop and near by (busy corner)
• Deliver - Deliver samples with coupons to nearby offices / companies
• Rent Booth – Appropriate, special events and locations (Harbourfront
Centre, Nathan Phillip Square...)
• Distributors – Holt Renfrew / the Wine Rack / Hallmark / Flower Shop
• Kiosk - Temporary location for seasonal traffic. Chocolate fragrance
defuser to attract visitors (Eaton Centre / Union Station) only need to
be open for a limited time. Open just before Christmas, remain open
through Valentine’s Day, Easter and Mother’s Day (close for the
remainder of the year)
• UberEATS – Online food ordering company - available for catering
only in the Toronto area
Place
Stunning website, POS and print ads designed to appeal to target market’s love for unique chocolate flavours.
ambrosia
Product
Fine specialty chocolate paired with unique and complementary ingredience for the perfect blend of heavenly flavours. Currently 27 mouthful of flavours to choose from, and adding new each month:
• Chilli
• Bacon
• Ginger
• Green Tea
• Wasabi
• Lavender
• Arugula
• Further pair these heavenly treats with complementaries such as wine / champagne to bring out their flavours
• Vegan, sugar and gluten free options of certain products
• Cross promotions with wine makers / flower shops / spas / Hallmark / Jewelry
• High end elegant packaging, recyclable, minimal use of plastic. Walk away with your purchase in a branded and recyclable bag or for
a small fee purchase a beautiful / reusable Ambrosia fabric shopping bag, part of the proceeds go to a ‘Hug a Cocoa Tree’ charity
• Personalized packaging with name or logo on tags, stickers and ribbons
• Engrave name or special dates on select chocolate bars - perfect for weddings / holidays / special moments
• Introduce new and unique flavours each month
• Introduce additional products (flavoured chocolate for baking, recipe / coffee table book(s), crapes, hot chocolate, chocolate syrup, novelty
items such as apron, chef hat, etc.)
• Seasonal chocolate shapes - Christmas tree, Star of David, Easter Bunny, Hearts and more!
• Bee Balm
• Cheddar
• Curry powder
• Havana Tobacco
• Basil
• Sweet & Sour
• Lime
• Lemongrass
• Pink peppercorn
• Cardamom
• Saffron
• Sea salt
• Asiago
• Avacado
• Goat cheese
• Banana
• Chèvre
• Agave nectar
• Pink Himalayan salt
Action PlanFour P ’s
ambrosia
Action PlanFour P ’s
Promotion
• Obviously website with mouthwatering photography of products and variety of promotions
> Discount to new customers - time sensitive offerings
> Subscribe to newsletter to receive Sweet discounts
> Refer a friend - and receive 25% off your next purchase
> Gifts - lots and lots of gift ideas for everyones taste butd and price points - seasonal / occasions
> Contest - give This Flavour a name and WIN X
> 72 hour countdown sale(s)
• Ambrosia Combo Chocolate Challenge - Contest - develop your own creation of chocolate with a pairing of your choice and we’ll feature
your product in our store and online for ‘X’ period of time! Advertise online, local paper, George Brown school campus bulletin board
• Groupon deals - coupons for first time purchase at location, first online order, private event coupon and catering
• Loyalty campain - points card (like credit card) customers earn points, which translate into reward, either a discount on their next
purchase or larger future purchases (points never expire)
• Partnership with another company – Hallmark, will help grow network and will be mutually beneficial for Ambrosia and our customer
• Cross-promo – Niagara on the lake getaway-wine tasting
• Print - local newspaper (NOW, Metro) advertise launch of store location
• Direct Mail (flat) - addressed mailer, #10 OE with letter and Gift Card with $5 amount. Activate/redeem online or in store by X date,
AND unadressed mailer with coupon and time sensitive date options
• Direct Mail (dimensional) - small chocolate box with ‘gift’/premium
• Birthday Discounts – Discounts for birthday customers (present ID in-store) and receive 20% PLUS your age OFF your purchase price,
and/or sign-up to our newsletter and provide us with your birthday details to redeem
ambrosia
EXECUTED BY:
Dorota Ceglarska
ambrosiaChocolate Maker