CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

Similarly, there are a number of brands in the US market proudly flaunting their preference for Robusta, although arguable with names such as Death Wish and marketed on its higher caffeine content, they haven’t helped advance its image. However, brands such as Truegrit by Nguyen Coffee Supply are helping to rebrand and reinvent the bean. With a striking, modern blue and white pack design and a patterned design that refers to the bean’s origins in Vietnam, the beans have nearly 2x more caffeine content, 60% less sugar, 60% less fat and double the antioxidants versus Arabica. Expect more brands to follow, but it's going to be a long slog to change perceptions.

And in fact, changing perceptions is not just going to involve proving to eco and economically minded consumers, that arabica ‘no longer stacks up’. Those consumers are more likely to be on board. But to generalist coffee consumers the key to changing perceptions of the bean is going to rely on showing consumers that actually, it’s much better value. In short, the key to growing sales of Robusta will be in highlighting the criticisms once levelled at it, as plus points, while simultaneously proving that the natural qualities of Arabica, may no longer count in its favour.