Analysis of Theo Chocolate’s Strategy
Analysis of Theo Chocolate’s Strategy
Name: Quynh Ho
CWID: 893 735 829
Professor: Yuna Kim
Class: Marketing 351
Date: May 21, 2013
Class Time: Tuesday 7:00pm-9:50pmIntroduction
Theo Chocolate was first established in March 2006 by Debra Music and Joe Whinney in the Fremont- neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (theochocolate.com, our story). For Theo, they want to do more than just chocolate. It is about the land, the people, the dedication, and the interconnected relationships that bind all of them together. That is why Joe Whinney- Theo’s founder- first pioneered the supply of organic cocoa beans into the United Strates in 1994. Traveling and working in the tropics of Central America and Africa, Joe fell in love with the land and the people farming there. He recognized injustice in the way that both were being exploited and wanted to do something difference. He, cooperated with Debra Music, then built the first organic chocolate factory that is powered by green energy sources and they started producing organic chocolate in 2006 (Brake, par.2).
The company only uses pure ingredients that are grown sustainably and, where possibly, locally and their chocolate is all packaged in sustainable materials. Nowadays, their beans are coming from different places such as Costa Rica, Madagascar, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, and the Congo. As an equatorial crop, cocoa grows in the United States, but only in Hawaii. Over the past decade, Theo Chocolate faced many challenges when trying to source good quality cocoa beans and establishes a marketing strategy. Theo Chocolate recognizes the injustices and the social and economic degradation that many farmers are faced with in the cacao industry. Theo Chocolate wants their company to provide fair pay and work for those farming their organic beans. Therefore, The Company is the first roaster of organic and fair trade-certified cocoa in the United States.
Choice of Company
Theo Chocolate is a young new
Name: Quynh Ho
CWID: 893 735 829
Professor: Yuna Kim
Class: Marketing 351
Date: May 21, 2013
Class Time: Tuesday 7:00pm-9:50pmIntroduction
Theo Chocolate was first established in March 2006 by Debra Music and Joe Whinney in the Fremont- neighborhood of Seattle, Washington (theochocolate.com, our story). For Theo, they want to do more than just chocolate. It is about the land, the people, the dedication, and the interconnected relationships that bind all of them together. That is why Joe Whinney- Theo’s founder- first pioneered the supply of organic cocoa beans into the United Strates in 1994. Traveling and working in the tropics of Central America and Africa, Joe fell in love with the land and the people farming there. He recognized injustice in the way that both were being exploited and wanted to do something difference. He, cooperated with Debra Music, then built the first organic chocolate factory that is powered by green energy sources and they started producing organic chocolate in 2006 (Brake, par.2).
The company only uses pure ingredients that are grown sustainably and, where possibly, locally and their chocolate is all packaged in sustainable materials. Nowadays, their beans are coming from different places such as Costa Rica, Madagascar, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, and the Congo. As an equatorial crop, cocoa grows in the United States, but only in Hawaii. Over the past decade, Theo Chocolate faced many challenges when trying to source good quality cocoa beans and establishes a marketing strategy. Theo Chocolate recognizes the injustices and the social and economic degradation that many farmers are faced with in the cacao industry. Theo Chocolate wants their company to provide fair pay and work for those farming their organic beans. Therefore, The Company is the first roaster of organic and fair trade-certified cocoa in the United States.
Choice of Company
Theo Chocolate is a young new
Cited: Allison, M. (2013). Fair-trade theo chocolate fairly booming. The Seattle Times, par. 4. Retrieved from http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020664110_theochocolatexml.html(2013). Fair-trade theo chocolate fairly booming. The Seattle Times, par.25. Retrieved from http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2020664110_theochocolatexml.htmlBrake, L. (2011). Theo chocolate - the ultimate in green chocolate. Earth Times, par. 2. Retrieved from http://www.earthtimes.org/green-blogs/green-living/theo-chocolate-ultimate-green-chocolate-21-Sep-11/Hamel, M., & Lam, H. (2011). Theo chocolate. Whole Foods Market, line 11. Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/theo-chocolateLindell, C. (2013). Ben affleck, theo chocolate launch congo chocolate line. Candy Industry, 19. Retrieved from http://www.candyindustry.com/articles/85617-ben-affleck-theo-chocolate-launch-congo-chocolate-lineLee, J. (2012). Ben affleck and theo chocolate collaborate on congolese jobs. Triple Pundit, par.7. Retrieved from http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/12/ben-affleck-theo-chocolate-collaborate-congolese-sustainable-jobs/(n.d.). Our mission. Theo Chocolate, Retrieved from https://www.theochocolate.com/our-mission(n.d.). Our story. Theo Chocolate, Retrieved from https://www.theochocolate.com/our-story(n.d.). Theo. Eastern Congo Initiative, Retrieved from http://www.easterncongo.org/about/partners/Theo