Chocolate trends 2018

Pretzel InnovationAgency 

The Future of Chocolate 

‘18 THE FUTURE 

OF CHOCOLATE



EDITOR’S NOTE. 

Welcome to Pretzel’s The Future of Chocolate publication. 

Let’s see which new intriguing products and key trends will excite the 

consumers and drive innovation in the chocolate industry next year. 

1. Re-defining Chocolate 

2. New Looks 

3. Super Indulgent 

4. Sustainable Business 

5. Bite Sizes 

6. Ruby Chocolate 

7. Functional Bars 

8. WhereMagic Happens 

Marissa Martinez 

COO & Senior Innovation Advisor @ pretzel.agency



Re-defining Chocolate 

Dates, sweet potato, pumpkin, kale and avocados 

are only a few of the intriguing vegetables and 

fruits that are exciting consumers when matched 

with chocolate. 

These combinations are turning the chocolate 

industry up-side down, challenging the legal 

terms of what is chocolate. But they seems to 

win consumers hearts and are here to stay. 

#LoveCocoa #Compartés #RudeHealth 

3



New Looks 

The old bars are classic, but also a little boring. 

Beyond the flavors, there is a stylish new way to 

excite your consumers. 

Different sizes, shapes, colors and edible 

decorations are the main resource of inspiration 

at new wave chocolatiers. What do the 

consumers say? They absolutely love the new 

insta-worthy bars of chocolate. 

#Compartés #Nectar&Stone #Unelefante #LaNaya 

4



ENVISION THE FUTURE 

WITH PRETZEL. 

We help companies innovate to build brands, grow businesses 

and transform categories. Let's seize the opportunities of 

tomorrow!



Super Indulgent 

Consumers are willing to pay more for premium 

experiences when it comes to chocolate. Origin 

stories of cocoa, the excellence and rarity of 

raw materials, surprising textures and unique 

unexplored flavor combinations are the key 

proof points when it comes to super indulgent 

chocolates. 

#RicoChico #Doisy&Dam #Daarzel 

6



Sustainable business 

The consumers are more conscious and 

demanding than ever. The pressure is high when 

it comes to sourcing fair-trade raw materials, 

ending the child labour and manufacturing the 

final product in a sustainable way by minimizing 

the production footprint as much as possible. 

There is a special focus this year on making 

single use packaging environmentally friendly: As 

biodegradable and recyclable as possible. 

#BanSingleUsePackaging #SaveThePlanetEarth 

7


Food & Beverage Trends 

Bite Sizes 

What to do when you don’t want to share but also 

don’t want to commit to a whole bar? Smaller 

’bite-size’ formats are the answer for personal 

snacking occasions. Conveniently located at the 

grab & go area, a new wave of premium 

innovations are biting slowly by slowly the volume 

of classic chocolate bars. 

#Toblerone #Cadburry 

8



Ruby Chocolate 

We’ve been waiting for a new chocolate for 80 

years. This new chocolate variety offers a 

complete new experience compared to the 

classic dark, milk and white. The Ruby chocolate 

is made from a Ruby cocoa bean and it holds an 

intense fruity-berry flavor accompanied by a 

signature natural rose color. 

#Ladurée #Kitkat #Nectar&Stone 

9



PRETZEL HELPS YOU INNOVATE. 

CUSTOMER CENTERED 

INNOVATION STRATEGY 

Is Innovation-led growth part of your 

company strategy? 

Is your portfolio competitive in your markets in 

comparison to your competitors? 

Do you have a feasible innovation pipeline 

considering resources, scalability and top-line 

growth? 

Do you have a comprehensive map of 

customer insights and jobs-to-be-done that 

translate into successful value propositions? 

Are you the trend setter in your industry? 

Do you have a ‘second-act’ strategy? 

PRODUCT FUNNELING & 

DEVELOPMENT 

Does your products emotional and functional 

benefits reflect the current customer trends 

and market demands? 

Is your brand positioning and visual identity 

reflecting your customer aspirations and 

desired segmentation goals? 

Are you uncertain what are the winning 

formats, textures, flavors and fragrances? 

You are looking to maximise your innovation 

potential without CapEx investment, but short 

on ideas? 

Does your innovation team needs an external 

support of project managers? 

BUILDING INNOVATIVE 

ORGANISATION 

Is your organisation agile enough to supply 

innovative propositions to ever changing 

customer demand? 

Does your people have the knowhow to lead 

organizational change that disruptive 

innovation demands? 

Are your people ready, mobilised and 

motivated to deliver successful market 

innovations? 

Do you require help setting up an innovation 

incubator or a lab to improve innovation cycle 

time?



Functional Bars 

There is an increasing demand for functionality 

in food. The modern consumer is seeking to 

compensate the fast life-style with healthy and 

nurturing snacks. 

The number of chocolate products that are 

marketed as an everyday good-for-you snacks 

with super berries, rare fruits and plants like 

matcha or moringa are on rise. 

#K’UL #Bulletproof 

11



Where the Magic Happens 

Chocolate was a luxury article not so long ago. The 

availability was scarce and the secret of chocolate 

recipes was known and preserved by the best 

chocolate artisans. This magic of haute 

chocolatiers lives in small chocolate boutiques 

that are becoming more and more popular. 

+1 Pop-up stores are a hot trend across big cities, 

exciting consumers with special messages, a good 

cause or even DIY chocolate workstations. 

#KitKat #Hersheys #AnthonBerg 

12



LET’S TALK ABOUT FUTURE 

PRETZEL Strategy & Innovation HQ 

Verbier, Switzerland 

 

Global new business enquiries 

0041 76 740 16 09 

ella.jonas@pretzel.agency

Chocolate trends 2018

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