Chocolate Fortunes: The Battle for the Hearts, Minds, and Taste Buds of China's Consumers

“In Chocolate Fortunes, Allen describes these strategies in detail, offering a fair, informed and often fascinating assessment of where they succeeded and where they failed…. Chocolate Fortunes is a case study that delivers broad, transferable advice to Western corporations looking to move into one of the world’s largest and most potentially lucrative markets. Offering unusual insight into the complexities of manufacturing and selling Western goods in China for Chinese consumers, the stories of the Big Five combine the emotional power of the cautionary tale with the practical precision of the how-to book. Far more elementally, Chocolate Fortunes is a helpful primer on basic business practice.” –Knowledge@Wharton“Chocolate Fortunes captures the essence of China’s fast-moving consumer market. It tells the story of the global chocolate industry’s entry into China in a style which is captivating and informative. Allen presents a compelling story with personal anecdotes, historical perspective and some clear lessons for the future. Chocolate Fortunesis a delightful book to read that is strongly recommended for those seeking to understand this most dynamic of markets.” –Lorna Davis, President and Chairman, Kraft Foods China “Informative, cautionary and essential, this book is a must-read for executives currently doing business, or planning to, in this most volatile and critical market.” –Publishers Weekly

“Allen focuses exclusively on China’s nascent chocolate market, but he makes sure to write his book so the lessons learned by the five companies can be applied to other industries looking to break into an emerging economy.” –Houston Business Journal

“For anyone thinking of bringing their product to the Chinese consumer market, or even simply interested in the cultural characteristics of the Chinese consumer, Chocolate Fortunes offers valuable, hard-won insight from a true industry expert. The branding and marketing case studies alone make this book a worthwhile read, but Allen’s skillful prose — which at times is as smooth and enjoyable as the chocolate he describes — and deep understanding of Chinese culture and history make Chocolate Fortunes much more than just another business-in-China book.” –Jing Daily (jingdaily.com)

“For anyone who is thinking of going into consumer products or food or retail in China (and who out there is willing to ignore 1.3 billion customers?) this book is a must read.” –China Law Blog (chinalawblog.com)

“a fascinating look at the process of establishing business connections in [China]” –Women’s LifeStyle