Rebranding a B2B cacao trading company for the premium market
Client • Aroco - Aroma Colombiano
Year • 2025 - Today (Ongoing)
Role • Creative Director & Consultant (External)
Scope • Brand Development, Asset Creation & Packaging Design
Team • 3 Cross functional
Goal • Increase sales, become a global cacao trader and producer
Executive Summary
Aroco is a Colombian fine-flavour cacao company seeking to transition from a commodity-driven supplier into a premium origin brand.
Business Problem
Most cacao producers & traders compete primarily on price, leaving little room for differentiation despite significant differences in quality and sustainability practices.
Responsibilities
I led the strategic repositioning and visual rebranding to support this shift, defining the brand’s vision, values, positioning, and identity system.
Objective
Reposition Aroco as a premium origin brand attractive to high-end chocolate makers, food brands, and conscious consumers.
Strategic Foundation
Despite high levels of operational activity, there was a lack of a binding vision, strategic priorities, and a systematically developed brand framework. The existing brand components were not derived from a clear positioning and did not generate a consistent brand perception.
Defining vision, mission, principles, and values
I led through workshops with the main stakeholders in Aroco defining why the company exists and where it wants to go. This served as the foundation to rebuild the brand.
What are the main obstacles in sales & representation?
Who are the main competitors?
Where is Aroco in 10 years?
Positioning
Instead of positioning as a luxury brand detached from agriculture, Aroco was positioned as a credible premium origin brand rooted in expertise and land stewardship.
Traceability
Regenerative agriculture
Product excellence
Audience
Premium retail partners
Chocolate manufacturers
Culinary professionals
Decision Framework
Elevating origin into a premium category
Consistency throughout the sourcing process.
Sampling is the very first contact between the product and the buyer. It must be convincing - not necessarily through design, but through clear information and product quality.
Decisions
Hirachy over visuals
Information over colors
Imagery
In order to maintain a high-quality appearance while remaining authentic, the images must show the unprocessed product in its environment in a clear, calm, and high-quality setting. Focus on the main object with as less distraction as possible.
Outcome, Learnings & Reflection
Outcome
Transition from supplier perception to origin brand credibility
Cohesive identity across product, packaging, and trade touchpoints
Scalable system supporting international growth
Strengthened trust signals for professional buyers
What I would do differently next time
Prioritize workshops with the sales team in an earlier stage of the project.
Key learnings
Repositioning a commodity-linked business requires aligning brand narrative with operational reality.
In saturated markets, provenance and traceability can function as stronger differentiators than traditional premium cues.
A robust identity system enables consistent communication across diverse B2B and consumer contexts, ensuring long-term brand equity.
Professional buyers respond to clarity, structure, and information depth rather than emotional persuasion.
Effective rebranding in agriculture-linked industries requires coordination between branding, production, logistics, and regulatory considerations.