demand for dark chocolate and special flavors. Says van der Meulen: “Authenticity and heritage is continuing to grow in prominence and this specifically presents opportunities for a brand like Duc d’O because many of the large international brands are expanding their ranges to such a degree, and are so omni-present that consumers don’t perceive them as being that special anymore.” Health conscious consumers are another challenge, or opportunity and Duc d’O’s new fruit truffles all come with natural fruit-based fillings. The growing influence of the millennial consumer is also impacting Duc d’O’ strategic direction. “The overriding difference between millennial consumers and previous generations is information availability. Brands are built not only in store and in advertising, but increasingly via referral marketing in social media,” he says. “Market-to-market differences are therefore becoming less relevant, although regional taste profiles are changing far more slowly. While some flavors are popular all over the world, others are far more regionally bound,” he adds. While its reach is global, Duc d’O remains resolutely committed to its Belgian origins, as van der Meulen clari-
fies: “Belgium continues to be a trusted source of high quality chocolates and being a family company keeps us here and allows us room to develop, without having any shareholder pressure to move to low cost countries.”
Baronie Group team is keeping on top of market trends such as the demand for dark chocolate and special flavors
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