A Ritual in Chocolate Marketing, Max Brenner Style.
The power of play and presentation in marketing your product or service.
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It's all about presentation in the hospitality and catering business and lessons for success can come from anywhere. All you need is a little creative vision and inspiration to make your offerings stand out from the rest.
The top photo from todays post illustrates that. Enough so it's worth repeating the picture in a larger easier to see version (below).
The photo shows Max Brenners' version of a chocolate fountain.
While taping the latest chocolate episode of "Taste This" I noticed Max's chocolate pumping station near the entrance of the store.
A clever adaptation of an old chocolate tempering vat turned combination chocolate fountain and central chocolate pumping station. Complete with prop pipes suggesting pure chocolate flowing overhead and throughout the store.
The power of fantasy and play in merchandising to create a unique experience. It translates well at the cash register and a continuous flow of traffic through the door.
People want the product but desire an experience. Product you can get anywhere. An experience is harder to come by and always more memorable. Again, that translates into business.
The Chocolate Ritual
The merchandising and experience factors at Max Brenners' stay at the forefront well past the entrance. Every detail, from the serving pieces used, the cups, mugs, glasses and presentation of chocolate involves special tools, flasks, old fashioned amber glass medicine bottles.
The photo above shows Max Brenner (center) instructing host and chef, Joe Ciminera, in the art of preparing a drinking chocolate.
The preparation comes on a small tray complete with candle heated fondue pot to melt and mix the chocolate with the small pot of cream and other goodies included. The complete drink is then sipped through a stainless steel straw.
Presentation is king.
Put some thought into how you prepare and present your catering and events. Experiment, play, create and give your patrons something special. It can be the same ordinary thing they might find in a hundred other places, the difference (and the reason for remembering YOU) is in how you present it.
