Chocolate is a very popular snack, but with the wealth of chocolates already available on the market, any new product needs to stand out from the crowd. This requires not only the right product, but the ability to market your chocolate to the right market, at the right price point and using a variety of methods. Today, there are more options than ever for creative chocolate marketing.

Designer Chocolate

Individual consumers are only one market for chocolates. Corporations and other businesses also can be a source of business. You can appeal to these customers by offering chocolates in specially designed wrappers. Market these chocolates to coffee shops or other businesses and design wrappers that include the business name or logo. You also can market specially designed chocolates for large parties or events -- with a wrapper commemorating the occasion. For example, wedding chocolates with a wrapper featuring a picture of the happy couple.

Giveaways

Encourage your customers to buy more chocolates by including a gift certificate for a free chocolate in every hundredth bar. Customers will need to open the chocolate to find if they have won the prize. This marketing strategy will help encourage new customers to buy the chocolates in the hopes of winning a free one, as well as encourage current customers to buy more chocolates. This strategy can build positive brand recognition and customer loyalty.

Viral Ads

Target a younger market with an ad on YouTube that goes viral. Make a video ad parodying a current popular film or TV show, and featuring your chocolate, and place it on YouTube. Use Twitter and Facebook to promote the ad and direct people to watch it. As more and more people watch your video, you will build brand recognition. You also can combine this with a more traditional marketing campaign to direct people to your video.

Crowdsourced Marketing

Crowdsource your marketing by letting your customers make your ads. Run a contest for customers to make a video advertising your chocolates. The winning video could win a prize or be used as an ad on TV. For example, Doritos ran a marketing campaign called, “You Make It, We Play It” in which contestants submitted entries to the Doritos channel on YouTube. The entries were voted on by anyone who wanted to, and the winning ad was broadcast on national TV. By involving their customer base in their marketing campaign, Doritos connected with a wide group of potential customers and saw increased profits.