Concept Magazine CHOCOLATE : A SURPRISING FORM OF COMMUNICATION
Biannual Magazine of Concept Chocolate bvba/sprl
May 2014 / Number 1
concept chocolate. who are we ? Dear reader, We would like to use the first issue of ConceptMagazine to introduce you to our chocolaterie and our activities. In 2012, Concept Chocolate took over all activities and employees of renowned chocolate-maker Chocolaterie Duval. Since then, our chocolaterie has been an important player in personalised chocolate, the organisation of interactive studio visits and the production of high quality chocolate. This issue highlights a number of recent realisations and events. Our studio and production equipment was recently thoroughly renewed and modified. We thus comply with the strictest norms when it comes to hygiene, food safety and quality control. We hope you enjoy the read. Gregory Bleyfuesz, general director Maxime Pliester, commercial director
Contents
creating tailor-made chocolate A technique developed by Concept Chocolate
De Watergroep 2 De Watergroep changed its name and logo in 2013.
Mexx by Candy Dulfer
4
Concept Chocolate has developed a technique for quickly and efficiently creating new chocolate moulds.
An intensive collaboration between the renowned Dutch saxophonist Candy
Countless national and international
Dulfer and fashion label Mexx
companies turn to us when they want
Danone Academy
to give original personalised gifts to
6
customers or employees. They use our
Danone Academy asked Concept Choc-
products as communications tools for
olate to design chocolates for people
announcing new products, anniversa-
attending its training centre in Paris.
ries or new company names.
Pro-pay
This Magazine by Concept Chocolate
To commemorate the launch of
Workshop and team-building at
provides a few examples of recent as-
‘Mexx by Candy Dulfer’, Concept
Concept Chocolate.
signments, which are accompanied by
Chocolate was instructed by Mexx to
several customer testimonies.
design a special luxury box featuring
8
a personalised block of chocolate (see page 4)
2
Personalised chocolate
De Watergroep a new name, a new mission De Watergroep is the largest water company in Flanders and supplies drinking water to 2.8 million customers in 171 Flemish municipalities in West and Oost Vlaanderen, Vlaams Brabant and Limburg.
To mark the occasion, Concept Chocolate was asked to design special personalised chocolates and attractive packaging.
The history of Flemish water supply
sible for the supply of public drinking
dates back to the 17th and 18th century,
water. In 1836, the Belgian government
when typhus and cholera claimed thou-
incorporated this responsibility into the
sands of lives in the region. The decree
Municipalities Act.
of 14 December 1789, and the acts of 16 and 24 August 1790, obligated munici-
However, in practice, the Act was only
palities to take measures for reducing
symbolic because a lack of financial re-
the spread of epidemics and cattle-re-
sources and technical know-how pre-
lated diseases. The government thus im-
vented most municipalities from fulfill-
mediately made municipalities respon-
ing this role.
De Watergroep also helps to expand the municipal sewer network and works as an integral water company when creating tailor-made projects for companies. In 2013, the name of the former was
Flemish
changed
to
Water
Board
De Watergroep.
To commemorate the launch of the new name and logo, De Watergroep turned to the specific knowledge and longstanding experience of Concept Chocolate.
Did you receive positive reactions to this communication tool? “We only received positive reactions: no better way to launch the new name and raise awareness about the new logo. We received the most positive reactions from our Dutch clients: they see Belgium as the country of chocolate, beer and other tasty treats. They were even more delighted with the chocolate surprise than our Belgian clients!� Mr. Luc Keustermans Technical director of De Watergroep and member of the Director’s committee
3 The government then decided to
company into an integral water com-
intervene. In 1913, the National Water
pany with services in the entire wa-
Company (NMDW) was founded by
ter chain. Besides drinking water, the
law, and was given authority to inter-
Boar¬d has placed increasing focus on
vene whenever municipalities failed
waste water and industrial water in re-
Custom-made chocolate
to fulfil their task.
cent years.
Concept Chocolate will quickly and
The name ‘Flemish Water Board’ thus
efficiently create the chocolate you
During state reforms in 1980, the au-
no longer covers all performed activi-
thority for drinking water supply was
ties. That is why the company changed
transferred to the regions.
its name to De Watergroup in 2013,
Personalised Chocolate
and also adopted a new mission: We The tasks of the NMDW were then as-
offer tailor-made water solutions. To-
sumed by new water companies: So-
day, and for future generations.
ciété Wallonne des Distributions d’Eau (SWDE) for the Walloon region and the
To mark the occasion, Concept Choco-
Flemish Water Board (VMW) for the
late was asked to design special per-
Flemish region.
sonalised chocolates and attractive
require, using your house-style, logo
packaging.
and letter type, and our unique self-
In the previous century, the VMW
developed
technique. This
is
the
transformed from a classic water
ideal way to inform your personnel or customers about your logo, com-
interview with Mr Luc Keustermans
pany name, message, anniversary, etc. occasion, I stumbled across a chocolate-making studio.
Top quality chocolate Concept
Chocolate
always
works
That’s when the idea for this tasty and
with top quality Belgian chocolate
affordable gift was born!
featuring 100% cocoa butter and
We asked Mr Luc Keustermans, technical director at De Watergroep and member of the Director’s committee, for his opinion about the collaboration with Concept Chocolate.
I passed the idea on to Mrs Kathleen
no preservatives or colourings. This
De Schepper, head of communication
principle is never compromised by
at De Watergroep. And she loved the
using
How did you come into contact with
For whom were the chocolates in-
Concept Chocolate?
tended?
sub-standard
raw
materials.
idea from the outset!!
Special packaging
Due to our 100-year anniversary,
All 1465 employees were given
where the name of our company was
a box of chocolates in January
also changed, we were looking for an
2013 and, in the months that fol-
eye-catcher that would appeal to em-
lowed, all external clients who
ployees as well as external clients.
we encountered - on and off site
Concept Chocolate does not only de-
- were given this surprising gift.
velop chocolate moulds, but also offers
And I was introduced to Concept
solutions for presenting chocolates in
Chocolate via my personal network.
attractive and appropriate packaging.
Our company premises are regularly used for exhibitions and, on one such
4
Personalised chocolate
MEXX
BY CANDY DULFER In 2012, an intensive collaboration was established between the renowned Dutch saxophonist Candy Dulfer and fashion label Mexx. Candy used her funky performances to open new Mexx outlets at home and abroad, while also producing a number of music events for the Dutch fashion label.
Saxuality Not only does Candy Dulfer use her natural talent to enthuse her audience, she is also a fantastic ambassador for the Netherlands. Candy has released around a dozen albums and has had several hits in the charts. Her first album, Saxuality, sold more than a million copies worldwide.
Moustache and Emanuelle The international company Mexx was founded in Amsterdam in 1986, when Rattan Chadha combined two brands - Moustache, his brand for men (M) and Emanuelle, his brand for women (E) - to form one new brand. He then sealed the union with two kisses (xx): Mexx. Since then, Mexx has been designing high quality fashion
and she has performed with artists like Van Morrison and
and accessori¬es for men, women and children, inspired by
Prince on several occasions. This inspirational collaboration
the energy and vigour of city living.
with Mexx not only highlighted her love for music, but it also showcased her passion for fashion. It involved her working with Mexx to design her own collection under the name ‘Mexx by Candy Dulfer’, based on her own lifestyle. Candy’s personal style is reflected in the collection. The key ingredients in her collection are leopard prints, rock-n-roll, a touch of luxury and a sprinkling of glitter. To promote the collection, two Candy Dulfer concerts were held in Berlin in 2013, along with the ‘Mexx presents Candy Dulfer & band’ event in the Vondelpark open-air theatre in Amsterdam.
5
To commemorate the launch of ‚Mexx by Candy Dulfer‘, Concept Chocolate was instructed by Mexx to design a special luxury box featuring a personalised block of chocolate.
not too cheap and not too expensive. always self-conscious and nonchalant Within a few years, Mexx developed into one of the most successful international fashion brands. The fashion range includes Mexx Women, Men, Kids and Accessories, while Mexx also lends its name to fragrances, eye wear (sunglasses and regular glasses) and home wares. Today, Mexx is still based in Amsterdam and employs 4,200 people worldwide. Mexx produces fashion that is a little bit different. It is inspired by life in the big cities, and takes its look from the energy, style and trends one sees in the streets. Mexx refers to this new look as Metropolitan Casual, and it is synonymous with style and quality. Not too cheap and not too expensive. Always selfconscious and nonchalant. In short: Mexx creates fashion for men, women and children who know exactly what they’re looking for: something special. Mexx has been a worldwide trendsetter since 1986. Its collections and accessories are sold in leading stores, fashion chains, designer shops, almost 300 franchise stores and over 100 branded outlets. All products - from suits to baby clothing - are also available via www.mexx.com. Any time, anywhere.
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Personalised chocolate
DANONE Academy
Danone sets aside a sizeable budget for internal training. Each year, over 50,000 members of staff follow specific training in various countries, which helps them to prepare for managerial positions.
Danone is a French multinational with
Each year, Danone allocates a budget
turnover of €20 billion and 100,000 em-
€275 million to Research & Develop-
ployees, and is active in 140 countries.
ment and employs over 1500 special-
Thanks to cooperation between various
ised scientists. The research it performs
companies under the Danone name, the
concentrates on the quality of food
multinational is now a worldwide leader
products, and the retention and sustain-
in the field of fresh dairy products, baby
ability of natural foods. Furthermore, a
food, water and clinical foods.
Danone Institute has been established
Good nutrition is a key aspect in Da-
in 18 countries, where independent sci-
none’s products.
entists, doctors and important people
Good nutrition and a balanced lifestyle
for the food sector are brought together.
are generally seen as the building blocks
The main objective of these institutes is
for creating and retaining a healthy
to improve human health.
body. That’s why Danone’s mission is to “Use healthy food to improve people’s health”.
concept chocolate created special chocolates for the danone training centre in paris. three reasons why? 1. Use know-how Concept Chocolate uses its long-stand-
established for its own products.
ing experience when helping customers
3. Satisfied customers
to generate ideas. Participants at Da-
The objectives of Concept Chocolate
none’s training centre in Paris were thus
focus on creating satisfied customers. It
pleasantly surprised by the specially de-
is thus no coincidence that our custom-
signed chocolates and attractive pack-
ers loyally continue to buy our products
aging.
over many years.
2. Offer quality Concept Chocolate does not make concessions in its principle of using top quality Belgian chocolate for its chocolate creations. Danone thus felt it was important for the quality of chocolate to perfectly meet the quality norms
7
Training and chocolate A good mood Everyone will have experienced it firsthand. Eating a piece of chocolate, particularly black or pure chocolate, often works wonders and has an invigorating effect, like the when one drinks coffee. Various scientific studies have already identified the positive effect chocolate is said to have on people’s mood. So a piece of chocolate could be the ideal way to start a training course!
Positive effect on memory Chocolate is said to be rich in antioxidants, which means it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, in the same way as eating fruit and vegetables. Chocolate also contains flavonoids that are also found in red win and tea. Studies show that the presence of flavonoids has a positive effect on our memory and
treat your participants to a box of chocolates
reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. And this positive impact on our memory could be very useful at the start of a training course!
Concept Chocolate has been able to offer attractive gifts at many training centres Yet another benefit ! Finally, even the Aztecs knew that, due to the presence of phenylethylamine, This includes the chocolates we supplied to the Nissan Academy during its training days.
chocolate has a positive effect on our desires and libido! Whether this positive effect is useful at the start of a training course, is something you can decide for yourselves...
8
Workshops & Teambuilding
Pro-Pay nv Pro-Pay specialised social secretariat Pro-Pay is not your usual social secretariat. At Pro-Pay, each customer has a single point of contact. One per¬son who guides customers through the maze of
visit and active participation in the concept chocolate atelier Concept Chocolate is proud of its experience and know-how in creating personalised chocolates, and is thus pleased to open its doors by offering workshops to companies that want to learn more about the craftsmanship of Concept Chocolate.
social legislation and offers them useful advice.
Concept Chocolate only produces chocolate products in an artisanal manner, with
The person who provides the advice
natural ingredients, without additives, based on 100 % cocoa butter and with re-
is also responsible for the customer’s
spect for the age-old traditions Belgian chocolate-making.
wage administration.
Active visits to our studio will allow you to participate in the most important step¬s
Pro-Pay specialises in Payroll advice for
in the chocolate-making process. This will involve melting the choco¬late, prepar-
multinational comp¬anies with interna-
ing the filling, filling the chocolate moulds, cooling the chocolates, removing the
tional personnel in Belgium.
chocolates from the moulds and then packaging the chocolates. And we should not forget the most important thing: tasting the finished product!
At the end of 2013, the personnel of
Before the visit, many companies have a chocolate mould made featuring their per-
Pro-Pay visited the premises of Concept
sonal logos, whereby workshop participants can then give a personal twist to the
Chocolate for a lively workshop around
logos in question.
the theme of chocolate. Naturally, the best design will receive a special prize!
We asked Mr Geert Van Hoye, general director at Pro-Pay, for his reaction
Contact
This year, Concept Chocolate caught
Concept Chocolate bvba/sprl Distelsstraat (Rue des Chardons) 19 1030 Brussel
our eye because they offered an attrac-
Tel : +32 (0)2 242 94 66
tive interactive formula for doing some-
Web : www.conceptchocolate.eu
Each year, we arrange an “Away-day” for all Pro-Pay employees.
thing practical with chocolate. Pro- Pay
eMail : info@conceptchocolate.eu
employees were thus very enthusiastic
Management
about participating in a workshop that
Gregory Bleyfuesz : gregory@conceptchocolate.eu
allowed them to create something. The
Maxime Pliester : maxime@conceptchocolate.eu
formula was ideal for our employees, and allowed them to function as a team
Uitgever
in a relaxed and enjoyable setting away
Concept Chocolate bvba/sprl, Gregory Bleyfuesz, general director
from the office.