In 1987, Joan Steuer founded Chocolate Marketing, LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to pinpointing industry trends, strategic planning, product development for manufacturers and retailers, and sensory evaluation. Clients have included a diverse range of food and beverage companies and retailers from Fortune 100’s to award-winning artisans.
With a strong presence in both mass and specialty chocolate segments, Chocolate Marketing, LLC specializes in all phases of product development from trends forecasting to concept development, positioning strategies, name ideation, benchmarking, sensory work and formulation. A sensory expert, Joan personally analyzes every box of chocolate sent to her, evaluating each for optimization of more than 20 variables including ideal appearance, chocolate to center ratio, flavor profiling, mouthfeel, price/value relationship, and critical consumer acceptance.
Clients have included a diverse range of food and beverage companies and retailers from Fortune 100’s to award-winning artisans — from Procter & Gamble, the Coca-Cola Company, Grupo Bimbo, Mrs. Fields, Häagen Dazs, and Starbucks to Guittard, El Rey, Godiva, Chocolat Moderne, BT McElrath Chocolatier, Fran’s Chocolates and John & Kira’s, to name a few.
PROFILE
- President of Chocolate Marketing, LLC
- International Food Futurists’ Global Advisory Panel Member
- Specialty Market Editor of Professional Candy Buyer Magazine
- Board of Advisors for Pastry Art & Design Magazine
- Inducted into Chocolate Hall of Fame
- Travel Channel Host for “Best Chocolates in America” show
- Founding Editor of Chocolatier Magazine
- Co-author of Best-Ever Brownies and Marshall Field’s Frango Chocolate Cookbook
- NCA State of the Industry Roundtable on “Chocolate Marketing Trends”
- Press Conference Speaker on Global Food and Beverage Trends during IFT (International Food Technologists) Show
- NASFT (National Association of the Specialty Food Trade) Retailer Division Workshops Seminars and Audio Guided Tastings
- IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) Conference Tastings & Seminars
- Keynote Speaker for Retail Confectioners International Conference
- Moderator for The Chocolate Manufacturers Association's Chocolate Symposium
- NCA (National Confectioners’ Association) ALL CANDY EXPO Retail Educational Seminars on Today’s Confectionery Consumer
- State of the Industry Speech for NCSA (National Confectionery Sales Association)
- Extensive National and Local Media Appearances and Interviews
- Chocolate and New Product Tasting Seminars and Demonstrations
|
