Dubai Chocolate- a Lesson in Brand Strategy

In December 2023, a TikTok video of a young woman eating a bar of pistachio-kunafa-filled chocolate set off a trend known to many as "Dubai Chocolate". It's still going strong 18 months later, to the degree that global pistachio supplies are facing a shortage.

According to Euromonitor's Innovation Attributes Tracker, "[…] chocolate confectionery with pistachio flavour increased by 73% between Q1-3 2023 and Q1-3 2024."

But how many people can name the brand that created that chocolate? Here's where it falls short- Brand Strategy. 

As a product, unfortunately, it's not unique enough, and it's easy to imitate. The company that created this viral sensation has since introduced new flavours, but they haven't caught on in the same way (another reason why 'going viral' shouldn't be your marketing strategy, but that's for another edition).

The term "Dubai Chocolate" has taken over the FIX brand name, which is the company behind the chocolate. And as important as it is to scale operations to meet demand, it's just as important to invest in building up the brand so that it doesn't lose out on future market share. FIX just announced their appointment of a PR agency; that's way too slow! The large chocolate brands- from Lindt to Galaxy- have already capitalised on the trend and leveraged their brands to capture market share. Had FIX focused on brand building from the outset of their venture, they could have capitalised on the momentum and positioned themselves to become the trendsetters in the chocolate category.

Product vs Brand

Whether or not their chocolate is the 'best' is irrelevant. The most bought or used products are often not the best. Duolingo is a perfect example of this: it is quite possibly the worst way to learn a language (I'm still waiting to hear of someone- anyone- who has learned a language because of Duolingo), but people keep going back to and using their app, and they continue to grow. A large part of it is due to their brand building. They're constantly top of mind in their category and invest heavily in engaging their users and building brand and community. Notion is in a similar boat; there are tons of better project management and productivity apps, but their investment in brand building through their community have made them a top choice.

This lesson is relevant to any company innovating, entering the market or trying to hold on to an existing consumer base. Whether you're building a SaaS platform, producing a film, inventing a new chocolate flavour or creating content, you need to ask yourself: