How a story skyrocketed the price of a chocolate bar | and how that can work for your business

Back in 2021, two women in Dubai, Sarah Hamouda and Nouel Catis Omamalin, got together to create a chocolate bar to satisfy Sarah’s intense pregnancy cravings.

The resulting bar was a mix of pistachio, kataifi pastry, tahini, and premium milk chocolate.

It was a popular local novelty in Dubai for about a year. And then…

It went viral across the whole blimmin’ world.

All because of a story.

In 2023, an influencer made a video of herself eating one of the bars, and she did a pretty good job of making it look delicious.

But what really grabbed people was the story that emerged around it.

The idea that it was being made locally in Dubai, by a fairly small business, meant that it wasn’t easy to get hold of.

So the world went nuts.

People started getting the bars from Dubai and posted them on eBay at ridiculous prices.

Independent chocolatiers in the UK recreated the recipe and sold the bars at £10-18 a pop.

But even then, stories were circulating about how the bars were selling out so fast you still couldn’t get your hands on one.

Legend has it that shopkeepers and bakeries were hiding them under the counter for regulars. They were also worried about people trying to steal the bars, so they kept them hidden unless you had a secret password (I sh*t you not).

And did I mention that they cost £10-18? For a chocolate bar??

When I heard the tales, I succumbed to all my baser human instincts. Curiosity, FOMO, and scarcity mindset.

The first time I spotted a bar, I squealed with delight and bought it for me and my best mate to share.

(She has nut allergies and couldn’t have any. I knew this, and I regret nothing.)

Now, I’m not even a huge chocolate fan. I mean, it’s nice and all, and I’ll eat it sometimes, but I would never in my right mind spend 10 quid on a bar of chocolate.

But that’s just it, Subscriber First Name. I wasn’t in my right mind.

I’d been seduced by a story.

Let’s look at the other way this could have gone…

Independent UK chocolatier recreates a bar of chocolate that’s quite popular in Dubai. They tell people it’s got unusual ingredients and it tastes really good.

Would you be rushing out to spend £10 and upwards on that chocolate?

Me neither.

You don’t tell people your product or service is good.

You show them in a story.

And it just so happens, I can teach you how to do that.

For blogs, socials, newsletters, email marketing, networking pitches, and of course, your website.

My course, Once Upon a Sale, is nearly ready for its September launch.

It’ll teach you:

- The mechanics of storytelling for marketing and why it works so well for humans.

- How to do it in your emails, newsletters, blogs, social posts, networking pitches, and website.

- How to talk to your ideal customers in a way that makes them want to work with you.

- You'll also learn how to turn a meh story into a page-turner. Because any old story won’t do, you’ve got to write good ones.

It's going to be a lifetime access thingy that you can work through at your own pace. And it’ll be affordable because I’m nice like that.

And I made it for you, Subscriber First Name.

Once Upon a Sale has been made especially for:

• Solopreneurs and small business owners who write their own content.

• VAs who help businesses with their content and marketing.

• Small business owners who have bullied an unsuspecting employee into doing their content for them.

If this sounds good to you, let me know by clicking right here, and I’ll add you to the wait list.

You’ll be the first to know when the course is ready, and you’ll get a handy discount for being at the front of the queue.

TTFN x

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