Trendy Trending Trends | #PodSaveChocolate Ep90
Episode 90 of #PodSaveChocolate explores trending trends becoming trendy, and what you can do to take advantage of them to grow your business in 2025. [ Updated to include links and Pantone Color chip on Jan 7, 2025 ]
When and Where to Watch
🔗 🔗 below to watch – LIVE or the archived episode.
Click on this (shareable) link to watch on YouTube. Please subscribe (free!) to the @PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel, like this video, comment, and share this episode to help grow the #PSC community.
Clay Gordon
This LINKEDIN link is also shareable.
This FACEBOOK link is shareable, too.
Episode 90 Overview
Trends. Love them or hate them, they are a fact of life in today’s hyper-connected world. Especially when they become “viral.”
While there is no definition for a threshold of popularity for when something can be called viral, there are some key factors that contribute to something becoming viral:
Emotional Resonance
Timeliness
Utility
Three Trendy Trending Trends
The inspiration for this episode is the continuing confusion over how concerned one should be over heavy metals in cocoa products, spurred on by Consumer Reports in December 2023.
Two other trends (and the claims for them) are also explored - “Dubai” Chocolate and the recent announcement by Pantone of the 2025 Color of the Year – Mocha Mousse.
A key takeaway from this episode is how your business can take advantage of trends to drive sales growth in 2025.
1️⃣ Concerns over Heavy Metals
cadmium +chocolate
on /reddit
lead +chocolate
2️⃣ dubai +chocolate
What is Dubai chocolate?
The Dubai chocolate phenomenon began with a distinctive chocolate bar called “Can't Get Knafeh of It,” created by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai. First introduced in 2021, the bar is comprised of a rich filling of pistachio cream, tahini, and crispy toasted knafeh (shredded phyllo dough). Its immense popularity of copycats and variations is attributed to the bar’s gooey interior and satisfying crunch.
knafeh +pistachio
Blanca Valbuena
Intense Indulgence
Consumers are seeking bold, rich flavors that provide a multisensorial chocolate experience. This trend is marked by a rise in varied, multi-flavor & multi-texture products, meant for those who crave deeper, more intense chocolate experiences. Brands can capitalize on this by developing products that highlight unique cocoa origins, varied taste profiles, or limited edition flavors.
— From the Barry Callebaut report, “Top Chocolate Trends for 2025 and Beyond”
Marina Dunbar
The surge in popularity of Dubai chocolate has significantly impacted the pistachio supply chain, causing several concerns:
- Price increases: The wholesale cost of shelled pistachios has risen from $24 to $41 per kilogram due to increased demand. The confectionery sector is experiencing 50%-plus increases in ingredient costs as the demand for Dubai chocolate siphons off pistachio supply.
- Supply constraints: Despite Turkey expecting a record-high pistachio harvest of 385,000 to 400,000 tonnes for the 2024-25 crop, the Dubai chocolate trend is causing supply contractions.
- Quality concerns: Producers face difficulties in maintaining supply without compromising quality.
- Lindt. What will Lindt (and other industrial producers) move to take advantage of this trend do to exacerbate all of the above concerns?
• Gluten-free phyllo dough for the knafeh
• Dubai chocolate macaron; filled croissant; pain uu chocolat Dubai
• Hot chocolate with meringue, knafeh, and chopped pistachio garnish
• Use pecans (instead of pistachios)
• Use flavors culturally associated with pecans, e.g., peaches, bourbon
3️⃣ Pantone’s Mocha Mousse
2025’s Color of the Year
Claim
“Pantone first introduced Mocha Mousse (PANTONE 17-1230) as a color on December 5, 2024, when they announced it as the Color of the Year for 2025.”
mocha +mousse +pantone
"mocha mousse" +pantone"
"mocha mousse pantone"
"pantone mocha mousse"
Google Trends
Do your own fact checking
Questions?
If you have questions or want to comment, you can do so during the episode or, if you are a ChocolateLife member, you can add them in the Comments below at any time.
More Episode Hashtags (and Related Accounts to Follow)
#Trends #Trending #Viral
#Cadmium #Lead #HeavyMetals
#Dubai #DubaiChocolate
#Pantone #MochaMousse
#cocoa #cacao #cacau
#chocolate #chocolat #craftchocolate
#PodSaveChoc #PSC
#LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife
Future Episodes
ChocolateLife Member Thomas Forbes – The Current State of Cacao and Chocolate in the Dominican Republic
#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives
To read an archived post and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on one of the bookmark cards, below.
Clay Gordon
Clay Gordon
80m(as of the date of this post) Audio-only podcasts
Become a Premium ChocolateLife Member!
| These offers are available to free members, so subscribe above then click one of the following links. | |
|---|---|
| Team TCL Member Monthly membership | First 2 months FREE (save $10/yr) |
| Team TCL Leader Monthly membership | First 2 months FREE (save $30/yr) |