MAKING AN ACHILLES HEEL A SELLING POINT

Turning what was once a detriment – their packaging – into a huge selling point has become a savvy talking point for these brands. Ironically, it’s something that has helped it speak Gen-Z’s (and others) language, making pods a credible way to consume coffee at-home, in a way that instant coffee has never been able to be.

Beyond the environment, let’s not forget also that at its heart coffee is about rituals. It’s about that much needed first cup of the day, it’s about that cleansing 11 am cuppa, and it’s very much about the process of making it. Instant may be convenient, but its always lacked the quality cues of other formats. Pods not only offer a fresher product, more akin to the quality consumers have grown used to paying coffee shops a premium for. But they also more closely replicate the process of making a good coffee. Pod machines may only require you to fill them and press a button – just like a kettle, really

– but their screaming, whirring, steaming fanfare as hot water is pushed through the pod somehow feels much more barista-like.

That’s right, the success of pods is all about appearances. And now a flurry of brands have proved they can be cool, there will of course be more that follow. Expect hip, well-designed brands speaking to consumers in causal, lighthearted ways. Expect functional brands that offer more benefits beyond a caffeine hit. Expect brands that profile local flavours and preferences. Expect producers to more closely highlight their connections with growing regions, individual farms and communities. And of course, now that they’re cool, expect more celebrities to join in.

What’s the golden rule for new pod brands looking to claim a share of the market? In the fourth wave of coffee – but arguably only the second wave of coffee pods – brands need to look good, taste good and do good, to stand out.