Three Ways to Prosper in a Competitive Coffee Industry by Rachel Tuhro, Communications Director PBFY
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n such a highly competitive coffee market, it’s vital to continuously stay in front of your customer’s needs and attract new business as well. The coffee industry is not only competitive, it’s diverse. Your customers are going to be looking to constantly differ themselves from their competition by providing unique and new products. To stay on trend and in the competition, you will need to offer both exceptional products and a full-service company. To do so, focus on these three important aspects to continue to prosper for both your company and your customers: branding, product packaging, and providing a quality product. As a business owner, you are probably already aware that every company needs a strong brand, and in the coffee industry, brand recognition can be what keeps your current customer base and draws in new ones. A brand should offer not only an insight into what makes your company unique but also a visual representation of your company’s narrative. Essentially, if your company is all about being organic and fair trade, then having images that exemplify that will bring customers closer to selecting your bag of coffee. But brands aren’t always the easiest to make and market. Having custom prints on your bags is essential, and the ability to test out new brands and logos can shape the way you market your product. What are your customers most drawn in by? is it the picture of the coffee bean harvesters or rather an image of a pristine farm? Your brand should fit into the story that you have developed with your customers, should be easy to replicate, and should aim towards their interests. Are you selling to predominantly ‘hipster’ coffee shops? Then minimalistic and geometric shapes are your goal. It’s not just how the coffee bag looks, though. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes for a moment and think. “Other than the initial aesthetic what else am I checking for?” Most clients are looking at how your coffee bean is being packaged to both preserve the coffee and its ability to seal and be reused. Commercials are still on the market offering that elusive first sniff of fresh ground coffee, except now, customers expect
to open your bag and have that fresh smell and taste every time. Now they know which packages work and which ones end up with coffee grounds spilled all over the floor. When you are competing with over 30 brands on the shelf or selling to an individual coffee shop, this difference can be what scores you the customer. It’s not just the functionality of the bag, either. Are you looking for a more wholesome design, a classic brown bag that is both functional and recyclable? Are your customers more inclined
thing, and that is a consistently high-quality product. This is what keeps customers loyal. Regardless of what the variety you offer in your blends, whether it is the less expensive Robusta bean or a strand of Arabica coffee, you can provide a high-quality service from shelf to cup. Your quality begins with marketing. You are not offering high quality if you mislead your customers into thinking they are getting a rich cup of coffee, but instead it is an acidic Robusta coffee. These types of products should be marketed as high in caffeine with a strong espresso-like flavor. Regardless of the type of product, the way you market it leads to how your customer distinguishes its quality. Quality isn’t just in the bean, it’s in the bag you store it in, how well the company addresses customer needs, and the overall customer experience in the purchasing and use of your product. To stay competitive with the ever-changing coffee industry and your customer’s needs, you need to assess what is top priority to your brand, packaging, and product quality. These factors can have your bag of beans placed into shopping carts or selected for artisanal coffee shops time and time again. The common thread for all three of these factors is to look at your customer’s average needs and aesthetic preferences and determine how to meet those while staying true to your company’s overall narrative.
to that minimalistic look? Or does it fit better with your company to have sleek shiny bags with pop colors and a stark label? This style fits with coffee roasters that focus on the science and production of the bean. A few weeks ago, I was looking at all these different coffee options, trying to select one as well. There was one bag in particular that caught my attention. The company’s name and logo were all focused on the traditional cowboy coffee imagery. Coffee made for rugged individuals on the go, and the bag was a sturdy stand-up plastic that looked like it could go through a rodeo, unscathed. Even though I personally don’t identify with a rugged cowboy, the start to finish narration had me inspecting that bag to purchase ahead of all others. At the end of the day, you want your company to be known and remembered for at least one
Rachel Tuhro, Communications Director PBFY
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