Fetscherin and Sibbitt ’22 Publish Case Study Examining Chocolate Industry

Gelbman Family Chair of International Business and Professor of Marketing Marc Fetscherin and international business graduate Camille Sibbitt ’22 have co-authored the teaching case, “Swiss Chocolate Challenge: SwissOne versus Toblerone,” available through Ivey Publication.

Fetscherin and Sibbitt’s case study teaches students to explore the challenges related to creating a new company and brand in the highly competitive market of Swiss chocolate.

In 2021, the chief executive officer of Cocoa Luxury SA moved back to Switzerland and founded his premium chocolate brand, SwissOne, after spending two decades in Australia manufacturing confectionery products. Growing up in Bern, Switzerland—the location of the original Toblerone factory—had inspired his unique chocolate recipe and the first three chocolate bars he intended to sell.

Once he finished his prototypes, he had to finalize his marketing plan by considering the following questions: What was his overall marketing strategy? What was the Swiss business environment like, and how competitive was the Swiss chocolate industry? How could he best position his SwissOne brand, and what should the marketing mix look like?

The case looks at new product development, pricing, distribution, new product promotion, and identification of market segments and opportunities in a competitive industry.