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How does a 156-year-old business continually evolve to meet the needs and palates of modern consumers? It’s a question that Amy Guittard, the CMO and fifth-generation owner of Guittard Chocolate, often thinks about.
Based in the Bay Area, Guittard is a family-owned and operated chocolate company founded in 1868. Guittard’s primary business is as a supplier of premium chocolate to some of the world’s most recognizable candy and sweets brands along with large and independent bakeries. Guittard also markets a consumer brand and sells baking chips, chocolate bars and cocoa powder.
Following a six-year career at Clif Bar, Amy joined Guittard in 2012 and has led brand strategy, building and refining the company’s platform initiatives. She’s also played a key role in its innovation strategy, supporting the development of products that have enhanced the offerings of Guittard’s business customers.
In this episode, Amy speaks about the duality of her role as both a steward and agent of change for Guittard, the challenge of competing with both small, artisanal brands and large conglomerates, how she helped the company navigate a major threat to its core business and how she thinks about creating more affordable and accessible products for consumers.