Tony’s Chocolonely boss on U.K. growth, shaking up the cocoa industry with marketing stunts

It all began when  Dutch journalist Teun van de Keuken, or “Tony,” turned himself in for being a “chocolate criminal” in 2003. His crime? Paying for chocolate that used exploitative practices along the cocoa value chain. After a trial, he wasn’t found guilty of the said crime, but he made it his mission to turn chocolate into a vehicle that could spread awareness about all the things that needed to change in the cocoa industry.    

And so, in 2005, Tony’s Chocolonely was born—with its bright packaging and punchy messaging. Nearly 20 years on, little has changed about the spirit of the brand. Loud marketing stunts are still central to what it does because it turns people’s attention to the less talked-about, pressing issues.

Smart branding to take on the industry Goliaths

Take Tony’s 2021 advent calendar, for instance. The company deliberately left out the chocolate on one of the days as a way to underscore the inequality in the cocoa industry. 

That drew a lot of attention—and ire—but ultimately, achieved the purpose of alerting consumers to the core problem, Tony’s U.K. and Ireland boss Ben Greensmith told Fortune.

“It did a massive job for us in terms of raising brand awareness and issue awareness,” he said. “So we rely on stunts to gain attention.” 

Tony’s approach may be different for a relatively new, unassuming chocolate maker—but the results speak for themselves. The Netherlands-based company is now a big phenomenon in its home country with about 20% of the market share, but also in the U.K., where it’s now the fourth most popular chocolate in Britain following Galaxy, Lindt and Cadbury, according to Nielsen data. In just under five years, Tonys’ turnover in the U.K. has hit £40 million ($50.5 million), and it’s the fastest-growing confectionery brand in the country. The company is also reaching chocolate lovers in the United States, where they now sell at Walmart stores.

Tonys’ rapid growth can sometimes feel like it’s eclipsing what the brand stands for. But with a mix of smart packaging and bold campaigns, it keeps its purpose at the top of consumers’ minds. For instance, Its chocolates are unequally divided (unlike other bars which are split up in symmetric squares or rectangles) to serve as a constant reminder of the inequality that comes with sourcing…