It does not come in the RAE, but the Fundéu does tell us about that other Spanish meaning of the word brother-in-law. It refers to a family member, whether carnal or political, or it can also be a friend, whom we try to avoid because the conversation seems a little too familiar to us. Contrary to this meaning, there are millions of exceptions in which brothers-in-law get along more than well and share leisure and/or business. But few of those stories will have gone as far – business-wise – as that of these two brothers-in-law from Barcelona. We present them: they are José Ignacio Ferrero and José María Ventura, founding partners – and inventors – of ColaCao. We talk about them with Marta Vernet, Marketing Director of Idilia Foods, the group to which the brand belongs. First, explanation of the family connection: Ventura was married to a sister of Ferrero. And just one piece of information to give you an idea of that milestone that they achieved together: “Today in Spain, more than 50 glasses of milk with ColaCao are drunk… every second,” says Vernet, proudly. Related News At the beginning … report Yes Santalucía, the insurance company that combated “not having anywhere to drop dead” María José Fuenteálamo It takes the name of the street in La Coruña where it was born in 1922 and based its growth on the expansion of insurance deaths. Today it has 9,000 employees and revenues of 4.4 billion. To understand this figure, we return to ‘At the Beginning’ of ColaCao. Specifically in 1940. That year, the brothers-in-law, “two very enterprising and advanced people for their time, who had in mind from a very young age to launch their own business and who had already accumulated some other attempts, created Nutrexpa,” recalls the directors. It is the parent company of what is today Idilia Foods. Thus, in 1945, ColaCao would come into the world. He was born in a small workshop in the Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona, on Torrent de l’Olla street. It had been given to him by a wholesaler. The brothers-in-law wanted to create a new product with cocoa for breakfast. The recipe from then, they assure us, is the same as today. “Natural cocoa without any type of additive.” Be careful, aside: in this report we are going to tell you almost everything about the origin of ColaCao, but not everything because… ColaCao “is a secret recipe that only four people in the world know about,” reveals Marta Vernet. Such a recipe, they say, is responsible for the famous lumps. The directive specifies that already in the first workshop “the secret part of the recipe was kept in a safe – today lovingly preserved – in a room cut off from the outside.” . And today? “It is made in a restricted part of our factory, to which only 3 people have access.” Seven people initially worked in that small workshop in the Gràcia neighborhood. The distribution of ColaCao was carried out by five employees from the same factory. They were sold in small grocery stores. The founders themselves were also commercial. Wherever it was needed. Currently, Idilia Foods, between offices and factory, has a staff of 350 employees. Its soluble cocoa is sold in 70 countries. The beginnings and advertising Above, the Lepant factory, where they were installed in 1957; lower left, drawing printed on ColaCao containers and used in advertisements; Bottom right, historic ColaCao advertising poster of the ‘boxer boy’ ABCQuestion.- Why was he named ColaCao?Answer. – Among the ingredients of ColaCao, in addition to natural cocoa powder, is kola-malted cereal cream. This ingredient, along with natural cocoa, gives the product its name. The name was registered in 1945. Today ColaCao has more than 40 varieties and formats, but the first container was cylindrical, made of cardboard, with a bag inside where the product was. It came with 200 grams of product and was sold at a price of 7.40 pesetas. They were post-war years, with problems of child malnutrition. «It was more necessary than ever for boys and girls to be well fed and drink more milk. ColaCao created a recipe that added cocoa to milk and thus made it easier to consume. In a short time it became one of the children’s favorite foods and has contributed to Spain being among the ten countries in Europe with the highest milk consumption,” says Vernet. In the 1950s, the brothers-in-law were already aware of its success in the stores of Barcelona. «They were not satisfied. They dreamed big and their visionary and pioneering character pushed them to take a leap forward,” recalls Marta Vernet. In times when there are no audiences like today, they decided that communication and advertising were the way. In 1948, ColaCao was one of the first advertisers on Barcelona trams. And they looked at the radio. “To finance the campaign they asked for help from one of their trusted cocoa suppliers, and with all this they broadcast the iconic ColaCao song.” The first broadcasts, recalls the board, “did not have much effect on sales, but convinced of the strength of their strategy and always thinking about the long term, they persevered and kept the song on the air.” A few months later, the situation turned around and sales skyrocketed. Thus a new, larger and more modern factory was built. «In 1957 he settled on Lepant Street, about 20 minutes from the workshop. The residents of the Guinardó neighborhood report that, during all the years that the factory was located in Lepant, the street smelled of the unmistakable aroma of ColaCao. The factory was in this location until 1981, when it moved to Parets del Vallès (Barcelona), where it remains today,” recalls Vernet. We return to the iconic and historic song. “One of the most popular jingles in the history of advertising in Spain,” recalls Marta Vernet. The song was renewed in 2020 by composer Manu Guix. More advertising milestones: ColaCao was the first Spanish brand to sponsor the Olympic Games; Munich, 1972. That year the two brothers-in-law drove to the German city to deliver the ColaCao to the athletes. Since then, the brand has remained attached to Olympicism and is a founding partner of the ADO program (Support for Olympic Sports). Always up to date in terms of new trends, ColaCao appears in the most relevant brand lists on Tik Tok. «In a short time it became one of children’s favorite foods and has contributed to Spain being among the ten countries of Europe with the highest milk consumption» Marta Vernet Marketing Director of Idilia Foods From their Foundation, they support prevention against bullying, with dissemination, research and education. “ColaCao is more aware than ever of the role it plays in society fighting against bullying,” says the board. “Their educational project Somos Únicos educates more than 150,000 boys and girls per year in the prevention of bullying,” she adds. Asked about the most complicated moments of the firm, Marta Vernet points out that perhaps those first years, when they worked in the introduction of the market. In 2014 the two family branches decided to separate their paths. As indicated, in a friendly manner. Thus, Nutrexpa was divided into two. The Ferreros kept the cocoas at Idilia Foods and the Venturas kept the cookies at Adam Foods. In 2023 Idilia Foods had a turnover of 194 million euros. Its ColaCao continues to be a leader in its niche, without being intimidated by private labels. «ColaCao represents more than 50% of the market, with cocoa being one of the most branded markets. The whole ritual surrounding the consumption of ColaCao is too special to change,” says Vernet. Its packaging, too special to copy: “In Spain, packaging of soluble cocoa products cannot be marketed in the colors yellow and red,” explains the directive. Q. – Lastly, is ColaCao today more for children or for children? adults? A.- Contrary to what many people may think, more than 50% of ColaCao consumption is by adults.
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