Lindt is a really Big Guy. Whittaker's is a really Small Guy. Doug's Republic and Doug want to give the Small Guy chocolate
bar manufacturers a fair shake at the Chocolate Republic. It's Big guy vs Small Guy in the press at large, and this republic would
like to even the playing field against Hershey, Lindt, and Cadbury
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Big Guys vs Small Guys
The Big Guys vs
The Small Guys
What's the real difference between these two bars?
Looks can sure be deceiving. Based on the photographs, both
these bars appear to be about the same size, the one on the
left slightly larger. But actually, the
bar on the right is larger, much larger. It's 2.5 times the
size of the bar on the left. You can see that if you
look closely at the packaging.
But the label is still deceiving. It doesn't tell you that the
bar on the left, though smaller, is really a helluva lot bigger than
the bar on the right -- in all the ways that count.
The delicious Swiss bar
above on the left is sold all over the world by an
already world-famous company. Anyone reading this article can
likely find that bar -- or another bar by that company -- in their
own towns. You could be snacking on one this very second!
The delicious bar on the right is sold only in New Zealand,
Australia, Singapore, and in New Zealand shops in the UK. Unless you live in one of those four countries or
have a friend in one of those locales who can mail you bars, like I
did, good luck ever sinking your teeth into one of those luscious
delights.
Think of the bar on the left as representing "The Big Guys"
and the bar on the right as representing "The Small Guys."
The Big Guys are Lindt, Hershey, Cadbury, Toblerone, or any other
mainstream brand you regularly see in your local town or at duty
free shops. The Small Guys are all those quality niche chocolate
manufacturers you've likely never heard of. You can't
ever taste what you never heard of.
Once in awhile, a Big Guy screws up by blatantly cheapening
their ingredients and allowing a Small Guy to move in and
gain some credibility. Cadbury Australia made a
blunder and opened up the door for much smaller competitor
Whittaker's to grab some market share. Most of the time, however, a
Small Guy must slowly claw for his share of publicity and
the public's palette.
I'm lucky that I traveled and got to experience some
off-the-beaten-path brands. But I'm not traveling now.
If you think a small guy deserves to be sampled or you are that
small guy, get some bars to me!
I will make it a priority to sample them, and they will get reviewed
at Doug's Chocolate Republic. I can't promise I'll give the
bar a great review. Making the bar delicious is out of my
control.
This is not some sleazy appeal to obtain free chocolate samples.
It's a way to democratize the playing field. What I'm going to see on the store shelves of Thailand is Lindt,
Guylian, and Ritter Sport. For lack of other options, I will pick
these bars off the shelves, one by one, and sample each and every
one of them first, at a pace that keeps my waist line intact.
Do Lindt, Guylian, Ritter, and their brethren really need more
exposure? I'll sample them because sampling chocolate is what I do at the
Chocolate Republic, but I'll be honest. I'd prefer to sample and
expose a hidden diamond in the rough first.
I did mention the word 'democratic.' I won't turn down samples
from a big guy either if the big guy offers me a lot of sugar-coated
praise and encouragement, too.
Lindt is a Big Guy. Whittaker's is a Small Guy. Doug of Doug's Republic would like the chocolate bar reviews
on the Chocolate Republic to focus more on the Small Guy. But the republic can't function without your
support. Hershey, Lindt, and Cadbury control the market. If you want the Small Guy to get some press
over the Big Guy, let Doug of Doug's Republic review the Small Guys.