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Theo Chocolate: Doing Well by Doing Good

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Theo Chocolate: Doing Well by Doing Good

Theo chocolate is the company which has accomplished a lot of positive and creative steps as a company. It is one of those unique companies which took a stand for labor rights and advocated the production of fair and for-profit chocolate. The chocolate production companies have always held a very critical position in society due to the fact that the cocoa beans were produced by utilizing forced labor as well as child labor. The African communities were trafficked to the areas rich for the production of cacao beans and were forced by the producers to plan the cultivation and look after it. They were not provided with basic human rights, which included fair employment charges, fair working hours, as well as a fair place of living with a better living style. They were unaware of the detail about their surroundings and were not provided with money so that they could make arrangements for going back to their homes. On the other hand, the producers and the landowners used to earn huge profits due to the effort and hard work of the forced labor. Theo chocolate is the company which is striving to manufacture the chocolate by empowering the small scale farmers, by buying the cocoa bean from them. Theo Chocolate may have received great accomplishments during the last few years of their business; however, the company can use the strategic philanthropy as their marketing, in order to attract the North American consumers.

Strategic philanthropy means that the company should use its cause of empowering the small scale cocoa bean farmers, in order to attract the consumers of North America. The company has already kept its rates quite low and providing fine quality chocolate, which is being produced keeping in view the ethics of production. Another important fact is this regard is that the policy and objectives of the company are quite fair and ethical as well. The company shares the complete details about the process of production with its consumers, which helps it to attain the confidence and trust of the consumers, who like to add to the profit of the company. The company is already supporting the small scale farmers who were exploited by other companies, so they can use the strategic philanthropy as the marketing strategy, in order to motivate the North American consumers to play their role in supporting the labor force (Butcher, & Wilson, 2014).

In the previous times, the labors who worked on the cocoa bean farms were being trafficked to the area, in order to get the cheap labor. The owners of the land sold their production to the reputed and well-established chocolate manufacturing companies, at quite suitable rates, which increased the profit of the landowners. The chocolate companies were not the owners of these plantations; however, they were contributing to the practice of unethical and illegal labor production. So the Theo chocolate company has the opportunity of working for a greater cause of supporting the underprivileged population and they should communicate the struggles, hard work and strength of these labors, in order to motivate the public to lend a support to them, by consuming the products, which were made by the raw products supplied by them (Butcher, & Wilson, 2014).

The company can also utilize the marketing strategy of place, by expanding the distribution channels. At the moment, the company is based in one city and is not supplying its product into other states. It can use the opportunity to attract North American consumers by promoting the products it can use the elements of low price and fine states to attract consumers. The company can specifically target the female population by introducing an attractive packing or collaborating with the female brands, which motivate them to buy the chocolates of the company.

The weakness of the strategy of expansion of the distribution channels is that people would not prefer to consume the chocolates of a relevantly new brand, instead of those, which they have been supporting for years. So in order to attract the target audience, the company would have to make an effort of getting the attention of the consumers. The rates of the company are already quite low, and they use the raw products of the underprivileged communities to empower them. Moreover, the company also provides details about the sources of its production as well as the farmers who provide the raw products to the company. The society is changing and gives preference to the ethical and fair means of production, so it would be a greater opportunity for them to share their cause with the consumers and give a boost to their business (Butcher, & Wilson, 2014).

Theo chocolate can use the marketing strategy of strategic philanthropy, in order to attract North American consumers. The company is already working for the cause of fair trade, and fir employment, while empowering the small scale farmers of cocoa beans. It has earned great recognition for its production and has earned a great profit in a short time as well. So utilizing its repute and cause, the company should actively talk about its cause, which would earn the chances of progress for the company, as well as the farmers which are providing the raw products to the company.

References

Butcher, A. W., & Wilson, P. A. (2014). Theo Choloclate-Doing Well By Doing Good. Journal of Case Studies, 32(1), 19-36.