Packaging a Chocolat Experience

On Wednesday, I attended a well run (and well-attended!) AIGA Business Event focusing on the Business Value of Design. Katrina Markoff, the founder and creator of Vosges Haut-Chocolat, was the featured speaker. She was a truly fabulous and fun woman, and she spoke to the group about her passion for food and business.

Photo: Brenda Bergen and Katrina Markoff of Vosges, and Dustin Schadt of General Converting. Dustin was a past speaker at our Sustainability in the US Consumer Marketplace event.

Katrina believes in building the brand around the experience. She says that the best way to do that is to “tell the story, understand the language and translate the story into visual.”

After a trip around the world introduced her to new cultures, spices and ingredients, she began incorporating these ingredients into her chocolate. She created the popular Mo’s Bacon Bar while a vegetarian. (And she says they taste just wonderful!)

Katrina is also passionate about green materials in packaging. After the event, she and I had a personal conversation, where she shared her desires for the future of green material in packaging and the challenges she foresees.

According to the Vosges website, their green mission is a true commitment. They try to source 100% recycled paperboard when possible and their chocolate is produced using 100% renewable energy.

Vosges Chocolate and Katrina’s commitment to green materials in packaging is an incredible example of how women in packaging can make the industry greener!

You can learn more about Vosges and Vosges Products at www.vosgeschocolate.com.