Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/235863
All Natural The Finest Ingredients 120 Calories per Serving Irresistible! "It's about fruit, nuts, cofee, tofee and caramel, and we have a lot of products to address each category." and the Middle East are also growing export markets for Marich. Established private-label business can benefit from the new branding and new marketing initiatives, van Dam says. "I absolutely believe there is room in the market for both private label and brand business. We'd proven ourselves on the private-label side; some of our customers have been with us for 25 years, and we're proud of that business. The branding gives more balance to our revenue, and it's good for private label too," he says. "Companies say, 'I want that leading brand making my chocolate too.'" Choose Sweet or Spicy! Visit us at the Winter FFS Booth #677 KOF-K DAIRY New York Crunch is available in 5 delicious flavors: Southwest Crunch is available in 3 spicy flavors: Chocolate Chip Orange Toffee Cinnamon Cappuccino Mint Chocolate Chip Chipotle Jalapeño Chile Pepper Next Steps: Touting Better-for-You Ingredients With the first full year of concentrated effort on the brand behind them, the van Dams are now assessing which products, flavors and attributes are selling (or not) and considering new product launches. One thing they have done is tout better-for-you attributes. "Chocolate should have some level of guilt or it takes some of the fun out of it. But some things can make people think they shouldn't eat a product, and that's bad for perception," van Dam says. "Most of our products were made with natural ingredients already, and in cases where we could make a shift to natural, we did. We also had a tiny amount of corn syrup in some products that we're removing." In addition to all-natural products, Marich offers a full sugarfree line and an organic line certified by CCOF that includes milk chocolate tart cherries, chocolate sea salt cashews and chocolate toffee pistachios. SETH GREENBERG'S AUTHENTIC NEW YORK BROWNIE CRUNCH 212.878.6677 sales@browniecrunch.com Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 677 The Family Business Connection Van Dam recognizes that Marich's story as a family business (see A Brief History sidebar, p. 101) can be a powerful draw to consumers. To that end, the van Dam family is front and center in consumer interaction. "I think it's cool for people to see that the owners are on Facebook, commenting and answering their questions. [Consumers are] starting to get the idea that there are real people behind the products. We want them to get a sense of the kind of company we are—one that's playful and quirky," van Dam says. "We're creating a connection between family, business and customers," he says. "I want people to really grasp that this [business] is my first thought in the morning and last thought when I go to sleep. I want them to feel good about spending their money with us." Denise Purcell is editor of Specialty Food Magazine. Winter Fancy Food Show Booth 704 WINTER 2014 103