Sales portfolio: Camino Nightfall
SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION
In this assignment, I have considered “Nightfall”, a chocolate bar created by the La Siembra Collective. Nightfall is the “darkest” chocolate bar in their Camino product line.
SECTION TWO: Industry Profile: Global Chocolate
a. Overview
The global chocolate market is enormous. It was worth over US$130 billion in 2019, and it’s expected to grow by almost 5% by 2024 (Technavio, 2020). 90% of the world’s cocoa beans produced are used in chocolate production, and over 4 million metric tonnes of cocoa beans are produced each year (BizVibe).
Not surprisingly, the market is highly consolidated. The ten largest players in the global industry are Mars Wrigley Confectionery (U.S.), Ferrero Group (Italy, Luxembourg), Modelez International (U.S.), Meiji Co Ltd (Japan), Hershey Co (U.S.), Nestlé SA (Switzerland), Lindt & Sprüngli AG (Switzerland), Pladis (U.K.), Ezaki Glico Co Ltd (Japan), Orion Corp (South Korea)(Global Chocolate Market Overview, 2020)
Most of the world’s chocolate is consumed in the global north and all of it is grown in the global south (Cacao barometer (“CB”), 2020). Consolidated buying enables large cocoa companies to wield significant economic power in economies, many of them poor countries that rely on cocoa production as a critical element of foreign trade. The “real” price of cocoa has been declining for decades (CB).
Cocoa farmers are poor because of a combination of small farm size, low soil productivity, high costs, no diversified income, and low prices. These factors are exacerbated by weak local infrastructure, a lack of transparency and accountability, and sometimes corrupt and inefficient government policies and interventions (CB).
Negative impacts of the industry include deforestation, child labour, and slavery (Lumina, 2020). While a wide range of efforts have been made by governments, corporations, and civil society (including farmers’ organizations), these efforts lack alignment and have not reached the scale needed to make a dent in these many complex and interrelated problems (CB)
Deforestation
The global chocolate industry has long had a reputation for depleting forests in the global south, with particularly catastrophic effects in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Indonesia, and Peru. The Feb 2020 “Life on Land” report states that multiple factors are driving deforestation, and they all lead back to poverty. Most farmers lack the money to increase their productivity and yields, so they clear new land (Lumina). A top-down strategy by the world’s largest cocoa companies has been to “train” cocoa farmers in better agricultural practices rather than paying them more, a strategy that has not been effective. Large retailers play a role in keeping cocoa prices low by demanding cut-rate prices (CB)
There is also a huge issue with the “indirect supply chain”; unlicensed growers who operate covertly in forests (Askew, 2020). About half of the world’s cocoa is still bought via indirect supply chains and the involved companies do not know its origin. This means that they do not know if the cocoa comes from illegal plantations in protected areas or is connected to human rights abuses. (CB). Added to these issues are the supply chains of parallel products needed to manufacture chocolate (butter, sugar, etc) and how ethically these are grown and sourced.
Many reforestation initiatives are operating (World Cocoa Foundation, N.D.) but these are moving much slower than the rate of deforestation (Lumina).
Child labour and slavery
Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana produce almost 60% of the world’s cocoa each year, and it is estimated that 1.56 million children in these countries are engaged in hazardous work on cocoa farms (ILAB, 2020). The average cocoa farmer earns about $2/day (Oxfam, 2013) which means that they must resort to using child labour to make a living (Food Empowerment Project (“FEP”), N.D.).
Some children are abducted by or “sold” to traffickers or farm owners to work without pay and may never see their families again. Despite regulations forbidding this, a substantial percentage of these children receive no formal education (FEP).
While child labour, forced labour, and discrimination are illegal in all cocoa-producing countries in West Africa, there is still a great deal of cocoa grown and harvested under these conditions (CB).
b. History
Chocolate is a food produced from cacao, the seed of Theobroma cacao, an evergreen tree native to the deep tropical regions of Mesoamerica. Recent research suggests that it was first domesticated and socially used in the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in Ecuador more than 5,300 years ago (Davis, 2018). It was later used by the Olmec in religious ceremonies, the Maya, who harvested, fermented, roasted, and ground the seeds into a paste to honour a cacao god, and the Aztecs, who used cacao beans as currency and collected them as tribute from citizens and conquered peoples. When the Spanish colonized the region in the 16th century, cacao became one of the spoils of war. Spanish soldiers claimed the Aztec’s supply of cacao and brought it to Europe in the sixteenth century. Served with sugar, it became a status symbol for the wealthy. This enthusiasm led Spain and other European nations to establish colonial plantations for growing cacao and enslaving Indigenous and African peoples (Cornell University, N.D.; Field Museum, N.D.; Chocolate Class, 2019)
c. Current trends
Ethical trends and corporate social responsibility
Social factors can influence the types of products people buy, the prices they are willing to pay, the effectiveness of promotional strategies, and where products are purchased. These factors are affected by demographics, emerging technology, and the economy (Althouse et al, 2017).
As consumers have become aware of the global cocoa industry’s bad environmental and labour practices, an increasing number have moved towards purchasing Fair Trade certified products and demanding other ethical assurances. In many cases, they are now willing to pay more for products (especially small luxuries) that they feel better about consuming.
In the cocoa industry, there is lots of room for companies to position themselves as ethical options and this positioning can lead to a greater market share. However, as in any industry, some ethics are more ethical than others (witness the widespread issues of “greenwashing” and predatory corporate social responsibility (CSR)).
The Fair Trade cerification was first developed by the Max Havelaar Foundation of the Netherlands in 1988 as a way to improve fairness within the global coffee industry (Jubilee Book, 2013). The concept was a huge success, within a year, 65% of Dutch consumers had heard of the Foundation, and the Foundation’s certified coffee could be found in Holland’s biggest supermarkets (Subramanian, 2019).
The first certified Fair Trade cocoa product (1994) was the UK’s Green & Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate (Khamis, 2011). La Siembra Co-operative (producers of Camino chocolate, and the subject of this assignment) became the first registered importers of Fair Trade Certified cocoa and sugar in North America, in 1999.
Fair Trade works by forming a “virtuous triangle” of ethical business - recruiting farmers as members, asking them to meet certain standards; sending Fair Trade inspectors to these farms to ensure that they are still compliant; enlisting companies to pay a minimum price for commodities from these member farms if market prices plunge, and offering to certify products made from such ethically sourced commodities; and promoting the benefits of the system to the customer, who may be willing to buy Fair Trade-certified products even if they cost a bit more (Subramanian).
A great idea, but, over time, Fair Trade has taken some credibility hits. Elizabeth Bennett, a political economist who co-edited the Handbook of Research on Fair Trade, refers to the “large ocean of labels” that have issued from the original concept over the last three decades:
“I think companies are hoping that label fatigue is an enduring trend. They’re hoping that consumers are tired of learning what 30 different labels in one sector mean, and that we’ll all just think: ‘Any claim of sustainability is an improvement over no claim.’” (Subramanian)
Consumers aware of the cocoa market’s issues are also demanding better traceability (being able to trace their cocoa to farm level to lessen environmental and human rights issues. Many of the large cocoa producers are seeking to improve their track record in this area (CB), and to promote themselves as socially responsible companies. But this data is not always comparable, as these companies have varied interpretations about what traceability means and there are no shared metrics.
Health and product trends
Studies have suggested that dark chocolate can be good for you. Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, methylxanthines, polyphenols, and stearic acid which may reduce inflammation and increase good cholesterol, and provide some protection from atrial fibrillation, blood pressure, and other heart issues (Komaroff, 2017, Krittanawong, 2020). Dark chocolate has a higher cocoa content in relation to other ingredients, which means it also includes less sugar.
Other recent chocolate health trends include adding “superfoods” like goji berries and medicinal spices like turmeric to chocolate, as well as chocolate that is “free from” certain ingredients that may be allergens (dairy, nuts, gluten) (Hylsop, 2017). Organic chocolate continues to be a growth sector in the chocolate market. It’s healthier for the farmer, doesn’t rely on pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides which damage the environment, and many would argue that it’s better for the consumer as well (Fiore, 2021).
“Sensory snacking,” (also called “sensorial snacking” and “experiential snacking”) involves all human senses in the eating experience. This has become an important factor driving chocolate sales and nearly 60% of consumers under 44 cited these experiences as vital to their purchases (Sherred, 2019). Concepts like “mouthfeel” and visual innovation have taken a more prominent place in consumer decisions in the last few years (Euromonitor, 2021).
“People today are much more aware of the sensory experience [in snacks] and what it means…The big question always is whether a product is liked enough to try again [and] if you have a product with different flavor experience in the package to create interest” (Stone, N.D.)
Variety is another big product trend in the chocolate industry. While a few companies specialize, most create a variety of flavours, varieties, and product lines to keep attracting new customers and keep old ones engaged.
Premiumization
One of the key current drivers of the chocolate industry is premiumization (Technavio, 2020). Food analyst Jared Koerten (2019) describes premiumization as:
“a characteristic, trait or feature of a product that elevates consumer perception, creating a willingness to pay more.”
He suggests that to succeed in the premiumization game, a product needs to “create a premium story” (Sherred). Premiumization of a product can convince the consumer that a product is worth a higher price tag (Siegner, 2019). According to FONA (2019), premiumization’s focus on “high-quality and unique flavor innovation” is largely driven by millennial consumers based on their interest in new and interesting products, different experiences, and the desire to be healthier (Siegner).
“The transition of a product to premium status takes time and money, but it’s worth the effort” (Sherred)
As the premiumization of snack items continues, their retail value has almost doubled compared to conventional snack items. The path to premiumization involves attention to packaging, ingredients, and channel, with diverse flavours and textures (Sherred).
Other factors
Since chocolate is often an impulse purchase, packaging, colouring, and attractive displays are other key factors. Some successful conventional marketing strategies in the industry include Ferrero Rocher, who made their reputation with a luxury-looking gold and black design; Toblerone’s unique triangular shape; and M&M’s cute little cartoon characters and brightly-coloured packaging (Perch, 2021).
SECTION THREE: COMPANY PROFILE: La Siembra Co-operative
a. History and growth
La Siembra was established in 1999 by three friends who had worked overseas and seen the exploitative nature of trade on the lives of local family farmers. They decided to form a worker-owned co-op, La Siembra, to provide an alternative to this exploitation. While they were aware of worker-owned co-operatives trying to create a more just coffee industry, like JustUs! in Canada and Equal Exchange in the U.S., none were doing this in for chocolate, nor was there a fair trade certification system for cocoa-based products at that time (Camino, N.D.; Morgan, 2019).
La Siembra initially adopted the guidelines of the Fair Trade Foundation and then worked with Fairtrade Canada (then Transfair Canada) in 2002 to develop Canada’s first certification system for cocoa, chocolate, and sugar products (Camino, N.D.)
Initially, they sourced cocoa from a co-operative in Costa Rica and sugar from a mill supporting co-operative farmers in Paraguay and began to manufacture, package, and distribute a hot chocolate, sugar, and cocoa line created with the help of volunteers in the community kitchen of First United Church in Ottawa in their first year (Camino, N.D.; Morgan, 2019; Dykstra, 2019)
Most recently, La Siembra created an international alliance of worker-owned co-operatives with Equal Exchange in the US and opened a 10,000 square foot warehouse in downtown Ottawa.
b. Operations and organizational structure
La Siembra is a Canadian worker-co-op.
Worker-owned co-ops are business enterprises that are owned and governed by their employees, and all worker co-operatives around the world have two common characteristics:
- member-owners invest in and own the business together, and share the enterprise’s profits, and
- decision-making is democratic, with each member having one vote.
Each member-owner can vote in member meetings; run in the co-op’s annual board elections; and, participate in key organizational decisions (Camino, N.D.)
Worker co-ops differ substantially from conventional businesses in that the conventional business’s primary aim is usually to make profit for the owner(s) who may be — but in many cases are not — employed by the business. Such an owner’s voting control and share of profit is based on the amount of money invested, not the services that they provide the business. The worker co-op’s primary goal is for service to its employees and its community — to provide the best possible employment conditions for the members and to provide the customers and community with a service or product at a fair price that meets their needs and leads to a sustainable community (CWCT, N.D.).
La Siembra’s worker co-operative structure has resulted in building a team of individuals who are passionate about fair trade and organic foods, but also passionate about the ethics of how a “good business” should be run. The delegation of responsibilities is very much like that of conventional businesses, allowing for efficiency, but, as in any worker co-op, those at the “bottom” of the organizational chart are, as owners, also at the “top”.
Part of an international family of co-ops
Co-operative trade relations account for more than 70% of La Siembra’s purchases and almost 50% of their total sales.
La Siembra Co-operative is a member of The Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF), Ontario Co-operative Association (On Co-op), and Cooperativas sin Fronteras. It works with co-operatives of family farmers in 10 countries: Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Togo, and Madagascar. In addition, La Siembra has built a social-solidarity partnership with caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins (a credit union) that continues to support the growth and development of its co-operative business model and small-farmer value chains (Ontario Coops, N.D.)
Camino products
The co-operative makes a variety of cocoa products, including chocolate bars (16 flavours), baking products (pictured), hot chocolate (6 flavours), tea and coffee (in partnership with U.S. producer partner Equal Exchange), and bulk ingredients.
c. Business goals and initiatives
We, the worker-owners of La Siembra Co-operative, are committed to a model of equitable trade rooted in co-operation and the social solidarity economy. We offer consumers high-quality ethical products through partnerships with producer co-operatives that foster sustainable livelihoods and community development. We believe in meaningful, dignified employment and are guided by the co-operative principles, by the fair trade principles, and by a respect for the environment (La Siembra Mission Statement)
La Siembra’s $9 million in annual sales consists of chocolate and sugar products, in both bulk and processed formats, although it is gradually diversifying its product offerings to include coffee, tea, nuts and dried fruit produced by small farmers in democratically organized co-operatives. almost all of the products it distributes are Fair Trade or Small Producer certified. La Siembra does not handle conventional products even if doing so would allow it to achieve higher margins. Over the past two fiscal years, La Siembra estimates that is has paid approximately $497,000 in Fair Trade premiums directly to their producer partners, and have imported approximately $10 million in fairly traded food. The Co-operative’s capital includes $1.4 million in issued Preference Shares which are held by Co-operative members, associations, and fair trade supporters. (Ontario Coops)
d. Marketing and sales departments
“Consumers need to realize that they have the power to change the way companies do business. Each time they buy a product, they support the practices that have been put in place to make that product. Today, more than half of the world’s poorest people (2 billion people) live on small farms in rural areas of developing countries, earning less than two dollars a day. Worldwide, 152 million children are still in child labour. Consumers can change this by voting with their dollars. In choosing fair trade and organic products, they are telling companies they don’t want products that are supporting an economic system that keeps exploiting and impoverishing farmers and their soils, and jeopardizing the future of our planet.” Mélanie Broguet, La Siembra’s product development and marketing manager (quoted in Dykstra)
La Siembra lives their collective values, and their marketing materials reflect that, but their sales department operates in much the same way as many other businesses do. They work with brokers, distributors and customers to secure sales, receive distributor reports, prepare regular sales reports, manage the sales database, work out trade show logistics, and work with administrative and other staff to manage delivery and communications.
They currently have three sales staff, a Sales Manager (fundraising, food service and direct accounts), a Senior Sales Coordinator, and a Customer Service Representative. Their marketing is done by their Marketing and New product development Manager.
f. Sales process
You can buy Camino products on their online shop, from any of their online partners, or at any of their retail clients (map). I live in a community of 10,000 people and Camino has five retailers in town, with several others in nearby communities.
Retailers can set up an account with Camino using the online form on their website.
Sales reps will send out information (and sometimes samples) to retailers about new products or special promotions, and they keep in regular contact with retail buyers. Here’s an example of a recent Camino “sell sheet” (front and back) describing a seasonal promotion.
SECTION FOUR: PRODUCT PROFILE: Camino Nightfall chocolate bar
Fair trade, certified organic, vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and soy lecithin-free, Camino’s 80-gram Nightfall dark chocolate bar is available singly or in cases of 14 units.
Launched in 2019 to celebrate La Siembra Co-op’s 20th anniversary, Nightfall is a very dark, smooth chocolate bar made with beans from small cocoa producer partners in Peru, Dominican Republic, and Togo.
With a minimum of 92 % cacao, Nightfall is rich in iron and includes just 3g of sugar per 40g serving.
Nightfall contains Cacao mass*, Cacao butter*, Sugar* (golden cane sugar*), Ground vanilla beans*. Minimum 92% cacao. *Fair Trade certified.
Product line
Camino’s Nightfall dark chocolate bar is part of a product line of 16 Fair Trade chocolate bars made from organic ingredients. They are all gluten-free and soy lecithin-free. They are also packaged in a compostable bio-foil packet, then wrapped in recyclable paper, printed with vegetable-based inks on acid-free paper and certified by the Forest Certification Council (FSC).
Features and benefits
Camino Nighfall’s five greatest benefits are 1) its very high cocoa content, which makes it a much healthier snack than bars with less cocoa. It has, for example, just 3g of sugar per 40g serving. It’s also vegan and allergy-free. 2) its fairly-traded ethical origins, which means that everyone involved, from bean-to-bar, was paid fairly for their labour. 3) Its environmentally-friendly packaging. 4) La Siembra’s history and educational mandate: Camino wants consumers to know as much as possible about their products, and about the chocolate industry. 5) It’s Canadian.
Pricing, promotion, and distribution strategy
At a list price of $5.49 for an 80-gram bar, Camino chocolate costs a little more than some other “boutique” chocolate bars, and a lot more than conventional chocolate bars. But Camino is not competing on price, they’re competing on their ethics. The consumer is paying more because that extra money is going to pay the people involved in making the chocolate better. This is a powerful idea.
Their distribution strategy is selective. While Camino products are sold at five locations in Nelson, where I live, they aren’t available everywhere. You can’t pick a Camino bar up at our local Walmart, for example.
One of their innovative promotion strategies is to offer non-profits and groups (teams, schools, etc) products at a lower cost to sell as fundraisers and keep the profits. They also donate food products to non-profits to use as prizes and promotions.
Market share
Camino is well known and loved in Canada’s organic, fair trade, and co-operative communities. With annual sales of $9 million, it’s smaller than many of the large American Fair Trade chocolate companies that have come along behind it, but it has done a great job of putting out its key messages about fairness, justice, and environmental values in all aspects of its operations.
SECTION FIVE: COMPETITOR PROFILE: Alter Eco Total Blackout bar
Launched in Jan 2021, Alter Eco’s Total Blackout bar is 100% cacao with only two ingredients: organic cocoa beans and organic cocoa butter.
The bars are made with Heirloom Arriba Nacional Cacao from Ecuador and the Dominican Republic and they are USDA certified organic, gluten-free, fair trade certified, and non-GMO, with no soy, no sugar alcohols, and no emulsifiers.
Competitor profile
From their website:
Alter Eco® is a chocolate-centric food company that helps mitigate climate change through regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration. Recognized as a top certified Benefit Corporation, a registered Public Benefit Corporation and proudly listed as one of the ‘Best & Brightest’ places to work in 2019, Alter Eco is dedicated to pioneering a better way of doing business as a force for change. The company practices a full-circle approach to sustainability throughout its operations and supply chain through four pillars: sourcing using Fair Trade principles, producing only organic and non-GMO foods with regenerative farming practices, creating minimal waste by working towards 100 percent compostable packaging, and in-setting carbon emissions by means of large-scale reforestation/conservation programs in the cooperatives that produce its crops.
Alter Eco’s byword is “enlightened indulgence” and they describe their operations as “Full Circle Sustainability,” which involves 1) choosing clean ingredients, 2) investing in farmers, 3) regenerating the earth, and 4) eliminating waste.
Competitor matrix
Strengths
Camino: long-established, well respected, ethical, long term relationships with suppliers, co-operative values, niche
Alter Eco: Operates internationally, large scale operations, less expensive than Camino
Weaknesses:
Camino: more expensive than Alter Eco, smaller-scale operations
Alter Eco: large scale operations may make it less adaptable to unpredictable events
Unique points:
Camino: co-op angle, grassroots operation, very clear “story”
Alter Eco: has a big vision for improving cocoa agricultural practices
Gaps?
Honestly, I think each company does what it does well.
Camino is slightly more expensive than Alter Eco, but they are both considerably more expensive than conventional chocolate bars. In my opinion, someone willing to pay $4.79 for a quality chocolate bar is probably willing to pay $5.49 if they like other aspects of a product.
Each company has a clear idea of the environmental and social changes it wants to work towards in the world.
In terms of scale, they are kind of playing in different sandboxes. Alter Eco is much bigger.
What I would suggest to Camino is to keep doing what they are doing and keep telling their story. They’re large enough to make a difference in the industry, yet small enough to keep their grassroots perspectives.
SECTION SIX: PROSPECT PROFILE: KOOTENAY CO-OP
a. Prospect profile: The Kootenay Country Store Cooperative is a large member-owned cooperative offering natural, organic foods and products in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.
Since its opening in 1975, the Co-op has taken a leading role in promoting natural, organic foods and products, sustainable living and supporting local, organic farms and businesses and fair trade organizations.
b. Organizational needs: The co-op is a busy and thriving retailer. While they are big for an independent grocer, they are small when compared with a large conventional grocer. They have a small grocery buying department (2 people) who are both kept very busy. They have recently opened an online shop and are also adjusting to changing consumer needs and patterns as a result of the pandemic. They need sales reps who can get to the point and stay there, and who have read their sales reports and done their research about what sells well at the store. The Kootenay Co-op won’t want to try out every new product that a sales rep has available, they don’t have the shelf space or the aisle space.
c. How product will meet needs: Very dark chocolate is big right now — people who shop at the Kootenay Co-op are interested in its health benefits. Many are also interested in the ethical and fair trade aspects of Camino’s business. Also, both La Siembra and the Kootenay Co-op are co-operatives, which creates opportunities for mutual understanding.
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