Espresso News and Reviews – TheShot.coffeeratings.com

If you thought Starbucks was desperate to resort to podcasts to sell their coffee, McDonald’s recently promoted their premium roast coffee by hiring the Flying Wallendas to tightrope walk for its one-year anniversary: HOVERING OVER DETROIT: A close call on the high wire (Detroit Free Press). I’m not sure if McDonald’s wanted to send the [...]

Starbucks is about to find out. Today, the company announced their strategy to counter the growing encroachment of fast food rivals vying for their coffee business: To stand out, Starbucks pushes coffee know-how | Consumer Products | Reuters.com. The plan includes holding coffee tastings in its North American stores. As reported here earlier this summer, [...]

Yesterday’s Washington Post ran an article that pretty much embodied everything I despise about coffee: Coffee craze has everyone a bit nuts – Family Times – The Washington Times, America’s Newspaper. It’s the focus on all the sizzle and none of the steak. Apparently, few of us want to hear about what it takes to [...]

Associated Content regularly posts articles of informed-yet-amateur research, and today they published one on the economic outlook of the retail coffee beverage business: Coffee Economic Forecast – Associated Content. The author highlights that regular coffee sales (“convenience coffee”) are projected to grow 7% annually while espresso beverages are projecting 15% annual growth. So there is [...]

Today’s New York Times reports that Folgers is planning a $20 million advertising campaign on a new line of “gourmet” Folgers: Tempting the Traditional Coffee Drinker to Move Up – New York Times. It seems that even Proctor & Gamble can no longer ignore the McDonald’s effect. However, what’s not clear is if consumers will [...]

Today a press release from Eight O’Clock Coffee announced a new marketing campaign for the all-but-forgotten brand: Eight O’Clock(R) Coffee “Gets Real” about Coffee in New Advertising Campaign; Nearly 150 Year Old Company Announces Results of Consumer Taste Test. The new marketing campaign takes aim squarely at the Starbucks set — on a mission to [...]

Carlos Sanchez, 71, who portrayed Colombia coffee’s Juan Valdez for 37 years, recently announced his retirement: BBC NEWS | Americas | Colombian coffee icon steps down. But with Colombia coffee producers having already invested so much in their brand iconography (not to mention Juan Valdez-branded cafés in the U.S.), the successor to Mr. Sanchez will [...]

Earlier today, Proctor & Gamble Co. (manufacturer of Folgers and one of the Big Four) announced the launch of a new coffee concoction formulated to reduce stomach irritation: P&G sees big market for stomach-friendly coffee – Reuters Business Channel | Reuters.com. (This story was also picked up by the Cincinnati Business Courier: Procter debuts coffee [...]

Today CBS News published a 60 Minutes interview with Starbucks Coffee CEO, Howard Schultz: Howard Schultz: The Star Of Starbucks – CBS News. It’s the prototypical 60 Minutes interview: balanced, a modest attempt at controversy, and ten years too late to spot a trend. You get the feeling that the 60 Minutes writers just discovered [...]

Today advertising for peanuts, a blog on consumer advertising, reported on Folgers Coffee’s recent bizarre marketing campaign. Folgers Coffee’s ad agency for the campaign, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, had the wisdom to wrap New York City manhole covers with artwork that makes them appear to be steaming cups of coffee: advertising for peanuts: Folgers [...]