Chocolate isn't only a great gift for women. Men like to have chocolate supplies to nibble on too, all you needs is a bit of well-targeted male marketing.
Think of heart-shaped truffles, floral box designs and, of course, the Milk Tray man and you’ll realise that, traditionally, chocolate is largely targeted at the female market. But chocolate makers may well be missing a trick because lots of men like to have their own chocolate supplies to dip into, too.
And this isn’t just a theory – there is actual statistical data to back up the fact that men enjoy chocolate every bit as much as women.
A recent Mintel survey found that, while 91% of women admit eating chocolate, the figure for men is not much lower. In fact, the survey revealed that 87% of men admit eating chocolate – which, you’ll agree, is no small number.
The fact that most men in the UK admit to eating chocolate means that this is a huge sector of the market which has, so far, been largely ignored!
The question for chocolate manufactures now is: how to promote chocolate to this male market when it is a product so closely associated with being a ‘treat’ for women.
Chocolate with ‘Macho’ Appeal
One UK company that has come up with a unique solution to the gender gap in chocolate supplies is Schokolat. Specialising in chocolate gifts, Schokolat has created a range of beautifully made chocolate items in the shape of tools, keys, padlocks and pen knives, designed to appeal to the male market.
Every item in Schokolat’s ‘Gifts for Him’ range looks amazingly realistic, closely resembling the tool they are supposed to be but, crack them open and inside they are pure chocolate.
Try the chocolate spanner, with its authentic-looking metal work, to tighten the chocolate nuts and the chocolate will, of course, crunch in your hands. Leave the chocolate nutcracker beside a bowl of nuts and watch guests try to work out what’s going on as they try to use it.
To broaden the appeal to the male market, Schokolat has even introduced a range of ‘hobby and interest’ inspired chocolates for men from paint brushes and corkscrews to a pair of chocolate secateurs and even a chocolate golf club and ball.
Chocolate as Health Food
One of the factors which has promoted the growth of chocolate’s popularity amongst men has been recent findings that suggest a limited amount of chocolate a day may actually be good for you.
Recent scientific reports have found that dark chocolate might actually restore flexibility to arteries and stop white blood cells from getting stuck against the walls of blood vessels, thereby actually aiding circulation and improving the health of your heart.
Chocolate has also been found to reduce levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and raise ‘good’ cholesterol in the body. These findings may go some way to explain why scientists in Finland discovered that, in a group of men they tested, those who ate chocolate regularly lowered their chance of having a stroke by an average 17%.
So fellas, don’t be coy, it’s time to crack open your chocolate supplies and dive in. Not only is it a great ‘treat’ for either sex, but it could actually be doing your health some good as well!
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