News

Retail Top 100 2012, No. 100: Godiva Chocolatier

April 29, 2012

This year, marketers at Godiva were saddled with the daunting task of persuading women to eat more chocolate. Their answer? Put the high-end chocolatier's wares within arm's reach where consumers can just munch them mindlessly. At the risk of diminishing its up-scale brand, the 80-year-old boutique chocolatier began placing its indulgent confections on grocery store shelves in the form of jumbo candy bars, cupcakes and brownies. Godiva even uses its exquisite, premium-priced chocolate to coat pretzels, espresso beans and — gasp! — Oreos. "We want to get more Godiva into people's mouths more often," explains chief marketing officer and senior vice president of global brand development Lauri Kien Kotcher. "It's all about chocolate snacks, little chocolate treats. ... When those things come, you just keep eating."

Download the complete Top 100.