Bulgarian Chocolate Bar Proudly Named after PM Borisov

A Bulgarian company has launched a chocolate bar with the name and face of Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov on its packaging.

The Boyko Borisov (B.B.) chocolate wafer bar is a hit among buyers in the central northern Bulgarian city of Veliko Tarnovo, report Bulgarian agencies Tuesday.

The sweet, weighing 50 gr at a price of BGN 0.32, has been produced by a company based in nearby Lyaskovets and owned by former international football referee Ichko Lozev.

In the past, Lozev's company has issued bars with bearing the name of legendary Bulgarian footballer Hristo Stoichkov.

Other Bulgarian producers of sweets have also resorted to extravagant names to attract attention to their products, the cheap "Crisis" wafers being a good example.

According to information by the Bulgarian National Radio, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borisov has been informed about the product by the company and has allowed it to market it.

Source and Photo: No Invite

Stressed-out Brits Choose Chocolate Over Fruit

A whopping 80% of British workers choose junk food over healthy alternatives as a remedy for stress, a recent survey by office fruit delivery company Fruitdrop reveals. A tiny 7% of Brits eat fruit to raise their spirits on a bad day, instead choosing to reach for unhealthy comfort foods such as chocolate, crisps and biscuits.

Fruitdrop's survey reveals 65% of those choosing unhealthy snacks when stressed reach for sweet treats, with 53% of women favouring chocolate. Many Brits have also adopted the bad habit of routinely skipping lunch[1], so it seems natural that cravings for high-energy sugary snacks may surface.

A tiny 2% of 18-24 year olds say that they eat fruit when their spirits are low, whereas over 55s are much more likely to opt for a fruity snack when stressed, with a much healthier 13% selecting this option.

Ben Thompson, managing director of Fruitdrop, believes that offices can support their workers in adopting a healthier routine, "Employers can help their workforce to stay healthy with a weekly fruit box delivery, having fresh fruit to hand in the office means a healthy choice is an easy choice on a busy day."

Thompson continues, "Fruitdrop fruit boxes start at just £20, containing enough fruit for up to 25 employees for a week, a small investment for a healthy workplace. At Fruitdrop, we believe that a healthy office is a happy office, a weekly fruit delivery is the perfect starting point for this change."

Source: Sacremento Bee

A chocolate fountain of data

Ashley Underwood, senior strategy executive at TGI, explains why chocoholics are more likely to be tempted by products they have seen advertised...

After the passing of Pancake Day a sizeable portion of the population will be abstaining from the sweet and sickly for the next 40 days.

Chocoholics everywhere will be struggling with their inner demons over Lent as cocoa-withdrawal leaves a gaping hole in their day-to-day. Insight from Kantar Media's TGI survey sheds light on the importance and scope of the chocolate-lovers market.

Those who buy at least one chocolate bar per day, or at least two chocolate assortment boxes per month, tend to be towards the younger end of the age spectrum.

They are 32% more likely than the average adult to be aged 15-34. In terms of what drives them, this group is materially motivated, being 44% more likely than the average adult to wear designer clothes, and a third more likely to agree that these designer clothes improve a person's image. They also claim to spend their money without thinking and to be no good at saving.

Chocoholics, as defined above, seem to exhibit questionable dietary habits. They are 46% more likely than the average adult to claim that they don't have time to spend preparing and cooking food. The result is that over a third of them often eat snacks on the move rather than proper meals.

Crucially for marketers, this group is a quarter more likely to be tempted by products they have seen advertised. They are also 43% more likely to accept being easily swayed by other people's views, making a word of mouth campaign an attractive proposition. They seem especially responsive to celebrity endorsement being three quarters more likely to admit that celebrities influence their purchase decisions.

TGI Worldpanel data (which links TGI's consumer insight with Kantar Worldpanel's extensive purchase data) provides yet further insight into what sectors, brands and sub-brands chocolate eaters actually buy.

Although it is the younger age groups who are particularly likely to buy chocolate bars regularly, it is in fact the over 55s who fritter away the most money - when it comes to block chocolate at any rate. This older age group spends an average £15.40 on block chocolate over six months, compared with £13.30 for 15-34 year olds. When it comes to everyday chocolate bars, 45-54 year olds top the spend ranking with an average £23.40 over six months.

Taking 'Green & Blacks' block chocolate as an example, TGI Worldpanel insight reveals that the 55+ bracket represents a particularly lucrative and sizeable segment. 'Green & Blacks' is very proud of its fair-trade listing, and their most overtly ethical product, 'Mayan Gold', is especially popular with the mature chocolate buyer. Purchasers of 'Mayan Gold' are over a third more likely to be 55+ than are other main shoppers.

Source and Photo: Media Tel