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Convenience as a Useful Tool come a useful tool to introduce more people to specialty
coffee? I believe it can. Think of a truck driver for example.
There are a few key consumer trends that have For some specialty coffee companies it might not seem an
emerged in recent years that show a clear preference for obvious target group. But why shouldn’t it be? It is highly
convenience when it comes to coffee. The emergence of likely that a truck driver will buy their coffee from a petrol
single-serve coffee makers and coffee pods is one such station or a fast food outlet, while on the road. If they were
trend. Consumers can simply place a coffee pod in their offered the chance to buy specialty coffee that is just as
machine and have a fresh cup of coffee in seconds. This convenient, but of a higher quality, there is a good chance
is a major time saver for people who are rushing out the they would take it.
door in the morning.
Another key trend is the rise of ready-to-drink (RTD)
coffee. These are coffee drinks that come in bottles or cans
and have become increasingly popular in recent years, es-
pecially among younger consumers. More and more coffee
brands are launching RTD products as a way to meet the
demand for convenient, grab-and-go coffee options. Finally,
the rise of coffee on tap is another trend that favors conve-
nience. Many consumers are starting to discover the world
of coffee on tap, which is a system where coffee is brewed
and stored in kegs and served from a tap. From nitro cold
The Marketing Recipe for sentially try to appeal to a new, more
Disaster discerning customer base by promoting brews to nitro lattes, coffee on tap is becoming increasing-
ly popular, as more and more coffee shops invest in these
a coffee experience that is more premi-
systems to meet consumer demand.
Unfortunately, the specialty coffee um, more elevated, and more sophisti-
The pandemic also had an impact on how people
industry has a bit of a marketing problem. cated. These companies are counting on
purchase and consume coffee. For many, convenience is
If you consider what marketing does, it’s the fact that most people don’t really
now more important than ever. With more people work-
not hard to see how this could be the case. know what specialty coffee is, or how to
ing from home, there has been an increase in demand for
Marketing is, at its core, about creating and tell the difference between specialty and
at-home coffee solutions that are easy to use and require
telling stories. It’s about creating an emo- commodity coffee.
minimal effort. Services such as contactless pickup and
tional connection between a product and Then, of course, you also have gre-
fast delivery have also become more popular as consum-
a consumer. Why? Because emotions drive buying decisions. enwashing practices. This is when a company tries to make
ers look for ways to minimize contact and get their coffee
This is why you see so many commercials that try to tug at your themselves appear more environmentally friendly than they ac-
fix without leaving home.
heartstrings. They are trying to create an emotional connection tually are. They might do this by using recycled materials, or by
A recent study by Deloitte, found that
between you and the product. And it’s not just commercials; planting a few trees. It’s a way of trying to distract from their
about four-fifths of consumers value conve-
any type of marketing, from social media ads to billboards, is actual environmental impact. And sadly, it’s something that is all
nience even more now than before COVID-19,
trying to do the same thing. too common in the coffee industry. All of this contributes to the
and more than four-fifths of consumers ex-
Generations change and marketing is evolving with them. confusion around what specialty coffee is, and it makes it difficult
pect flexible shipping and fulfillment options,
Companies are getting better and better at using data to target for consumers to know which coffees are actually worth their
like BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store),
their marketing messages. This is why you see ads for products time and money.
from retailers. Another study from ecommerce
that you were just talking about with your friends, or why you Depending on which generation you belong to, you have
automation platform, Linnworks, found that for almost half
get served ads for things that you have been searching for been raised with different ideas about what coffee is and what
of customers surveyed, convenience was more important
online. The problem with specialty coffee is that it is still a very it should be. Like I mentioned above, it is not easy to break a
than price when it came to choosing a retailer. In addition,
new concept in comparison to how long people have been habit, which is why some view specialty coffee as a niche
the study found that 76% of consumers cite convenience as
drinking coffee. Most people in the world are used to certain market that focuses on specific demographics, such as young
their e-commerce top priority consideration more now than
types of drinks based on culture and traditions and they are generations. The reality is that specialty coffee is for everyone,
before Covid restrictions.
also used to buying certain coffee brands. So, if that coffee but it is not marketed as such. And this is a problem, because
In the coffee sector, convenience can take many dif-
brand decides to throw ingredients like cultural significance, it alienates potential customers and creates an elitist image that
ferent forms. It could be a quick and easy way to make
brand retention practices and specialty coffee in a blender, is difficult to shake. “Any change takes time. No one will change
coffee at home, or it could be a coffee shop that has a drive
what you get is a confusing mess. the mind of a consumer if they dictate to them what they need
thru. What convenience means to each customer type will
And that’s exactly what has happened. In recent years, to do, but if you provide information in a relatable way and
be different. What is important is that businesses understand
there has been a trend of coffee companies labeling their cof- give them the space to make their own decisions, you might
the needs of their target consumers. Can convenience be-
fee as “specialty” when, in reality, it is anything but. They es- just be able to make a difference,“ Silvia points out.
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