LIFESTYLE - INTERVIEW
Monday, June 4, 2018
DeLafee
LIFESTYLE - INTERVIEW
by Mehmet Kaplan
Gold is a precious element found in nature, but what makes it luxurious? Creative ideas, quality workmanship and good combinations. To do this, DeLafee was founded in 2004 in Neuchatel, a lakeside city in Switzerland. DeLafee has given a new form to both gold and chocolate, and create its first collection of the chocolate adorned with edible gold.
Being luxurious is about being different. In order to learn more about DeLafee, I talked to Sebastien Jeanneret, Founder and CEO. Enjoy the interview.
Sebastien, could you tell us about your background? Which one has priority for you, chocolate or gold?
My background is in marketing. I have worked in the United States and in Europe. My brand management work has taken me to over 40 countries. The chocolate ended the gold or of course our primary ingredients. Our priority is the magic. We want to offer unique creations which will be the ambassador of people's emotions. If you like your girlfriend very much you give her chocolate. If you love her forever you give her the gold chocolate of DeLafee.
How did you become interested in chocolates adorned with edible gold? What inspired you?
I had wanted it to start a chocolate brand for several years. One day in a sushi restaurant in New York I discovered edible gold. I saw that edible gold looked good on sushi but that it would even look better on chocolate. Chocolate has long been used as a message of love and care. Associating gold with it which has symbolized love and success for Millenia was clearly a marriage made in heaven.
Our DeLafee gold chocolate has made thousands of peole feel special and loved all over the world for over a decade now.
Could you tell us about DeLafee?
Small company in Switzerland on the shore of Lake Neuchatel. We prepare all our golden Creations by hands for our customers worldwide. After our signature gold chocolate we have created other Unique Products all using 24 karat gold. Our expertise in applying gold on unique surfaces has letters to work with the most renowned global luxury brands to help them apply gold on surfaces like leather, minerals, sand or lace. Delafee has become an expert in innovative uses of gold.
What type of products and services do you offer to your customers?
After launching our first product the gold chocolate, at the demand of customers we have started creating other gourmet products adorned with 24 Karat edible gold like tea, champagne, or even lollipops.
Now we are creating home decor products always 24 karat gold and fashion accessories like if you leather creations and our signature 24 karats temporary tattoos. We also offer gilding services, decorating people's home for example with 24 karat gold leaf. We have also collaborated with global luxury brands to innovate in the use of gold.
DeLafee
Which one is your flagship product?
Our Flagship product is our first product: DeLafee signature 24-karat edible chocolate.
Your products are handmade and luxury so you need talented artists on your team. Considering a long 14 years of your history, how do you ensure the sustainability of quality?
Sustaining quality comes with working with people who care about our creations and love what they do.
How could you describe Luxury?
You have luxury when products are made by hand by people who care about what they do and who care about the emotions of the people who will buy their creations. You will never find any luxury products in a duty-free shop in an airport for example.
DeLafee
I really want to ask a question as a person who has not eaten a chocolate adorned with gold before. Could you evaluate a gold-adorned chocolate in terms of psychology and taste?
Gold it does not have any taste. We use gold for its aesthetic quality and its symbolic value. Gold has a unique warm and shiny glow which contrasts with the dark brown color of the chocolate. Gold has been a universal symbol of love, success and eternity, making DeLafee's creations powerful and unforgettable ambassadors of people's emotions.
Do you prefer trade shows for introducing your products to retailers and wholesalers?
We do not participate in any trade shows anymore. We find that the internet is a better way to interact with our customers. Actually good old telephone has also proven to be a great way to communicate with our customers. Some of them simply call us to have a friendly chat and order our unique golden creations.
Social media has played such a crucial role in the luxury market. What do you think about using social media marketing for luxury products?
We use social media, especially Facebook. But as you can see we will remain a pretty confidential brand. We do not invest money to attract followers or promote posts for example. If people want to follows that is fine but we are not going to push for it. That is also part of luxury. If you find our brand interesting you are welcome to get in touch with us, but we will not push our content or our creations to you.
How can our readers buy DeLafee gourmet products?
Your readers can have a look at our unique golden creations on delafee.com .
What is next for DeLafee?
We keep developing new unique creations with 24 karat gold. We strive to surprise you with creative and innovative uses of 24 karat gold.
Thank you Sebastien.
For more information, please visit website of DeLafee
