The Cacao Club

Maria began contracting for The Cacao Club in 2021 to help us with our social strategy and content creation. It became clear to Maria very early on that our brand design was negatively impacting our sales and our ability to expand to a wider audience.

As a founder, I was quite attached to our original branding, so it was with a little resistance that I allowed her to present her ideas for a full rebrand. Maria helped me to understand so much about the customer experience and why putting their needs first was the thing that was going to help us grow. Once I understood the nuances and saw the first draft of Marias ideas, I knew there was no way we could continue with the old designs.

Not only did she carry out a full audit of our brand as a means to understand our proposition and target audience, she really took the time to help me get my head around ‘the why’. Every colour she proposed had a meaning, every font, and every image told a story - the unique story of our brand. Nothing was without a reason and it just made so much sense I couldn’t fathom it being any other way.

The branding was one thing, but the packaging design was another. Maria engineered an ergonomic, sustainable design solution to our cacao boxes that were not only safe to use for food purposes but also stunningly beautiful. The new packaging took our handmade products to a whole new level of luxury. We no longer felt limited to selling in markets and grocers but set our sights on luxury department stores and boutiques.

Marias designs for The Cacao Club have since been featured in Vogue Magazine, The National Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, and The House of Wellness. We could have never imagined that our cacao would become the globally recognised and celebrated product that it is. To this day, the first thing that people say to me when our cacao comes up in conversation is “Your branding is INCREDIBLE!”

I could not be prouder or more grateful for Maria. Not only for what she created for The Cacao Club but for what she has instilled in me as a business owner. Working with her gave me a deeper understanding of the customer journey and taught me that everything I do should be with them in mind. Thank you Maria!

- Jordan Cohayney, Founder - The Cacao Club