How do Bean-to-bar and Artisanal Chocolatiers keep up with Viral Chocolate Bar Trends from Social Media Platforms?

Nowadays, social media such as Instagram and TikTok have replaced tasting with how many ‘likes’ a video of a chocolate bar gets. Viewers have a strong desire to taste a chocolate bar long before they even took a bite of it. Why? Because the video on TikTok featuring that same bar has millions of views and likes. 

The more viral a chocolate bar is, the more people are encouraged to taste it and try new flavours. From Dubai chocolate bars to Marshmallow and Strawberry-Matcha bars, viewers are more likely to try such new ‘uncommon’ flavours just because they saw them online. This is pretty positive as it means that consumers are also willing to try new flavours they haven’t had before and not only stick to the classic dark, milk and white chocolate. 

Social media platforms have the power to link food products, such as chocolate bars, to social recognition. Buying, eating and sharing content about a certain product make people feel like they belong. A great example of this is the popular Dubai Chocolate bar, a milk chocolate bar with a filling of pistache, tahini, and kadayif (also known as angel hair). Although these ingredients sound familiar, the combination of them is rather uncommon. But then why do they work so well? Because of the sensory experience they provide to their viewers. The milk chocolate melting, the pistache creamy filling breaking out of the bar and the crunchy texture of the kadayif accentuates desirability and look delicious even behind the screen.

The Dubai chocolate bar shows that taste is now created by the virality of a product on social media, social resonance and that desiring a new flavour now happens with the eyes rather than with the palate. 

Bean-to-bar chocolatiers create chocolate products with premium and ethically-sourced ingredients. It is all about purity and each bite of the chocolate bar reflects the passion, knowledge and expertise of the chocolatiers. Thus, for bean-to-bar chocolatiers, viral chocolate trends create both an opportunity and a challenge: how can they respond to sudden consumer demand without losing the craft and quality that define their products? 

But how do bean-to-bar and artisanal chocolatiers keep up with trends such as the viral Dubai Chocolate bar? 

Many bean-to-bar makers adapt by putting their own take on popular trends. Instead of simply copying a viral bar, they use single-origin cocoa, carefully roasted beans, natural  and ethically-sourced ingredients, and handmade fillings to create a more premium and ethically-sourced version. If we look at it from this point of view, a viral trending flavor can also become a starting point for experimentation rather than a mass-produced product to imitate. However, at the same time, bean-to-bar chocolatiers wish to protect their values and identity as their appeal often comes from traceability, craftsmanship, and a close connection to cocoa farmers. By combining these values with the creativity and visual appeal of viral products, they can participate in trends while remaining authentic. 

At Lareka we see many of our customers re-inventing viral bars and making them their own with premium ingredients. For instance, De Bonte Koe’s ‘pillow-shaped’ Pistache Künefe bar gained huge popularity throughout the Netherlands as they were the first ones to launch their adaptation to the trend in the country. Moreover, Lambertz & Visser took the viral shape of the Dubai Chocolate bar and re-made it with other fillings combinations such as ‘Peanut Butter and Fudge’ or ‘Pistache and Pişmaniye’. 

Moreover, it is important to remember that a premium chocolate bar also deserves a premium packaging and Lareka can help you make your products stand out on the shelves! The Lareka Chocolate Packaging Machines are designed and engineered to ensure a tight and premium wrapping over your chocolate bars. With over 40 years of experience, we can help you throughout the process of choosing the right packaging styles and materials for your bars. 

Would you like to optimize your wrapping process? 

Get in touch with us!