WHAT DOES GREEN INDUSTRY HAVE IN COMMON WITH CHOCOLISSIMO? Stijn Theeuwen, Managing Director, Chocolissimo, MM BROWN SP. Z o.o.
WE SUPPORT COMPANIES, ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITIES IN APPRECIATING AND RECOGNIZING EMPLOYEES, CLIENTS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS, BY DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL, HIGH QUALITY CHOCOLATE. IN VARIOUS AREAS OF OUR OPERATIONS, WE OPTIMIZE SOLUTIONS TO MAKE THEM MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.
Not only do we all know that the climate is changing dynamically, but we are also increasingly observing the effects of these changes, e.g. in the form of weather changes or dangerous weather occurrences. I think these changes are affecting all industries. Imagine that, due to climate change, growing cocoa trees is not only becoming more and more expensive, but also more and more difficult. And chocolate is such an extraordinary product that its taste is influenced even by factors such as where the cocoa beans are grown (you can see this for yourself by trying, for example, our chocolates from the “The Bar Experience” series, made from cocoa beans grown, among others, in Tanzania, Ghana or Mexico). As a native Belgian, it would be difficult for me to imagine a world without chocolate.
Of course, as the Chocolissimo brand, we are working on various areas of our business to make it more environmentally friendly. Sometimes, those are not visible to customers at first glance, e.g. in the field of supply chains. However, our industry is quite demanding and specific, because in addition to thinking about ecological solutions, we cannot forget about food safety, and the safety of our customers is our highest priority. Showing this on a specific example – when choosing packaging for our products, we must take into account not only what materials they are made of, or whether they can be reprocessed, but above all whether a given material has appropriate certificates, allowing it to come into direct contact with food. Today, it is difficult to imagine a world without plastic, but we are gradually striving to reduce it in the production of packaging for our products. We have implemented a project under which we gradually review our offer and step by step modify our packaging to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic. We have introduced the Chocolate Experience line, whose cartons and bands are fully recyclable, and the paper used for their production is made of 70% virgin fibers and 30% recycled fibers. Our bestseller wooden boxes can be used repeatedly, by ordering additional chocolate packages or using them, for example, as boxes for various small items. Our products have relatively short shelf life, because we do not use artificial preservatives in their production (high quality is our hallmark). We try to donate end-of-line products and products with a shorter date to charity. Thanks to this, not only do we feel that we do not waste products, but we can also share the joy of chocolate with those who need it most. I can also reveal that, as part of the Belgian concern Gudrun Group, we are working on implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this way, we combine almost 20 years of tradition with modern solutions and care for the environment.
SO WHAT KIND OF COMPANY IS CHOCOLISSIMO?
Responsible and supporting sustainable business, focusing on people. I always say that people are at the heart of our company. We care about each other, our community, our customers and partners, by creating a positive work environment and constantly seeking sustainable, tailor-made solutions.
Listening to the needs of various stakeholder groups is very important to us and we work in this regard in two ways. On the one hand, we listen to the voices of our employees. We work on new products in accordance with the Design Thinking methodology, in interdisciplinary teams. Thanks to this, each member of such a team can bring their point of view, knowledge and experience to the project. And each such vote is extremely important. Products implemented with this method turn out to be our bestsellers.
On the other hand, we listen to the needs of our partners and customers, e.g. by carrying out marketing research. In response to these needs, we changed some of the packaging of our products to those with limited or plastic-free composition, or introduced Less Sugar chocolate with reduced sugar content (on average 60% less than standard dark chocolates on the market). We create our products out of passion and love for chocolate and we want to share this love with others. We know that the number of people with special dietary requirements is growing, so we are looking for solutions that will also allow them to enjoy the taste of chocolate, of course in reasonable quantities.
PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF THE COMPANY, BOTH EMPLOYEES, CUSTOMERS & BUSINESS PARTNERS. HOW IMPORTANT IS THE HUMAN POINT OF VIEW IN CHOCOLISSIMO?
The human point of view, keeping engaged and appreciating, sharing and celebrating successes – The Taste of Special Moments – is in our DNA. Based on experience, we know that building relationships and treating human issues as a priority, as well as enabling employees to co-create the company’s value, should be part of the sustainable development strategy. This is also confirmed by the Deloitte Human Capital Trends 2023 study, mentioning building real interpersonal relationships as one of the trends in business. The greatest difficulty in the process of achieving goals by organizations results from the need to deal with a large number of changes occurring simultaneously. Companies constantly have to make adjustments to their adopted strategies and look for innovations. For this to happen, people need to feel valued and engaged in their work. It seems simple and obvious, but the numbers show that taking care of employee well-being is still an underdeveloped area. We understand this, which is why our clients and partners reach for our unique products that make employees feel noticed and appreciated. They gain a sense of agency and the belief that their work makes sense.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO USE SUCH PRODUCTS?
Our products accompany us in celebrating special moments, such as a promotion, employment anniversary or, for example, the end of work on a project. Chocolissimo works great when we want to thank the entire team for their work, when shared moments require a unique setting. What is important, we celebrate not only the success itself, but also the path that must be taken to achieve it. That’s why our chocolates are also chosen as an everyday energizing addition, e.g. to morning coffee or as a dessert after lunch, when we want to relax and strengthen our resistance to stress. We are proud that Chocolissimo accompanies employees every day on their personal and professional journey.
Celebrating occasions such as World Day for Safety and Health at Work is also becoming more and more popular. Then, tailor-made chocolate shapes and solutions emphasize the importance of issues relevant to various industry sectors and beyond.
We also often cooperate with HR and Marketing teams in corporate communication of new projects and promotions. A wide selection of unique, tailor-made solutions that delight with craftsmanship with the utmost attention to detail make this possible perfectly. After all, everyone who cares about their brand wants their trademark to appear only on the highest quality products.
Not to mention traditional holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. This is a special time, a time to share joy and at the same time thank important people for their work together.
CHRISTMAS IS APPROACHING. WHAT HAS CHOCOLISSIMO PREPARED FOR THIS OCCASION FOR BUSINESS?
Chocolissimo Corporate Gifts are not only a wide range of tasteful gifts, they also give you a lot of customization options to meet your requirements. For many years we have been able to adjust to your most demanding needs related not only to the appearance of the box and its content. We offer: individual graphic design of packaging, logo stamping, hot stamping, UV printing, personalized labels and bands, engraved wooden packaging, personalized ribbons and wrapping paper packaging, and shipping to multiple addresses. These are just some of our capabilities. Fast service guaranteed! Each chocolate bar is unique, because it is handmade and decorated, e.g. pink chocolate sheets are distinguished by additions, such as gold particles.
This year we have prepared special Christmas collections. Our team will design a product that perfectly matches the brand, tailored to the occasion and size of the project. Importantly, selected personalization options are available to our customers even from just a single piece. We want to share the joy of chocolate and give everyone, including retail customers, the unique opportunity to personalize products. We invite you to co-create the perfect product and share the unique Chocolissimo Experience.
STIJN THEEUWEN – Managing Director, CHOCOLISSIMO, MM BROWN Sp. z o. o.
A graduate of Vlerick University Ghent, whose passion and entrepreneurship led him from working as a hospital nurse to his current role. He has 25 years of international experience working in Europe and North America in various industries: automotive, chemical, service, FMCG, construction, sales and marketing. He is passionate about broadly understood development at the individual, organizational and business levels. In his free time, he likes traveling and learning about other cultures, also in terms of cuisine, and tracking.
B2B: + 48 611 023 762, upominki@chocolissimo.pl , website
Last Updated on October 26, 2023 by Anastazja Lach