Throwback Tip #11: Make Less Mess with Moulds

Is shaking out excess chocolate from your moulds leaving your work place a mess? Sure, you have parchment paper to catch the chocolate as it falls, but it probably still lands in other undesired places. Dennis Witzel with Linnea's Candy Supplies says a small or medium plastic storage bin can take care of this problem for less than $10. Simply set the tub on your work table and set your mould upside down on edges of the tub, so gravity can drain the chocolate. Be sure the bin has a wide enough opening at the top allowing your mould to easily fit into it. When you are ready to shake the excess chocolate from your mould, place the mould into the tub so as you shake it, all of the chocolate that flies out will land in the tub—not on you, the floor or the table.      

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Use this Trendy Color to Stand Out

Looking for inspiration to launch a new product or add a fresh a new look in your retail shop? Look no further than Pantone’s Color of the Year, Ultra Violet. 

Said to evoke originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking, shades of Ultra Violet are increasingly used in packaging and graphic design by forward-looking brands seeking to stand out, according to The Pantone Color Institute.

Pantone.com

 Incorporate Shades of Violet into Products and Merchandising

Since it was first introduced in December, ultra violet has been the inspiration for apparel, cosmetic and home decor brands as well as well-known personalities and artists. Let ultra violet light the way for your product development efforts and even when ordering gift items and other merchandise for your retail shop.

Photos: Disco Strawberries, Spring Flower Lollipops by Sprinkle Bakes
and Blackberry Marshmallows by The Road to Honey

Create cosmic strawberries with metallic violet luster dust or take a more literal approach by incorporating edible violets into your candies, like Sprinkle Bakes (click here for easy lollipop tutorial). For a fresh spin on homemade marshmallows, add blackberry puree to get a natural violet hue (check out recipe).

Party City

Make an Impact with an Ultra Violet Candy Buffet

For maximum impact in your store, group together your favorite ultra violet (and other shades of purple) treats in a candy buffet. Consider adding violet lollipops, foil-wrapped chocolates, Jordan almonds, taffy and jelly beans to create more of a variety.

Gain inspiration from brands like Sephora and Gap for their use of
the color of the year in past product promotions. Images: xrite and Selectism

Create a Color of the Year Promotion

Pantone is recognized globally as the leading source of color information and trend forecasts. If you’re not already familiar with Pantone, there’s a good chance consumers in your community are, especially if your retail shop is near a university. According to an article published on NYTimes.com, “Pantone [has] tremendous influence over the visible elements of the global economy — the parts of it that are designed, manufactured and purchased.”

December is pretty much the Super Bowl for Pantone, after the Color of the Year is officially announced. You can expect consumer products in industries spanning from fashion to home décor, packaging and beauty products to jump on the bandwagon, why not the candy industry? If this seems like a good fit for your business, now may be a good time to identify these consumers.

Pantone’s color of the year could just be the spark of inspiration you need for a new product launch or fresh merchandising plan. Have you ever used Pantone’s color of the year as inspiration in your business? If so, please share in the comments below.

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Throwback Tip #9: Use Google Alerts

Whether you like it or not, people are talking about your business online. Be sure you’re aware of any online coverage your business receives by setting up Google Alerts. Using this free tool, you will be alerted via email when your business name or the name of a competitor shows up in Google results.

Creating Google Alerts is simple and you don’t have to have a Google account to use this free tool. Go to google.com/alerts to get started. In the search query field, enter the term(s) of which you wish to receive notifications. For the purposes discussed here, enter your business name in this field. You must create one alert at a time, but you can create multiple alerts (e.g., one for your business name and one for your signature product’s name).

To customize the delivery of your alerts, select “show options” before creating your alert. Here you will be able to select your preferences when it comes to the frequency of your notifications and the sources for alerts (e.g., news, blogs, videos and more). For greater accuracy, you may choose to limit alerts to only best results.

Now you can be in the know when your business is being talked about online!

Stay connected with RCI through Facebook for more tips and inspiration dedicated to the retail candy maker. Not a member? Click here to learn how RCI can help you build your sweet business.