TCMBA #12 - Re:co Symposium and SCA Expo 2023 Recap
Holy Cow, have I had a month!
I’ve sold my house, pulled my kids out of school, and am now traveling until we MOVE TO BERLIN in July! I also managed to squeeze in an amazing week at the Specialty Coffee Association Expo in Portland!
My top three take-aways from SCA and Re:co Symposium were…
Consumer-Focus
The Middle-Ground of Coffee
Automation
But, *spoiler alert* 2 and 3 are really about Consumers too.
So I don’t get too long winded, I’m going to cover one of these topics each week for the next three weeks. I know, my newsletter cadence has been sporadic to say the least! But at least we’re here right now!
Consumer-Focus
Re:co’s curation was strongly consumer-bent.
I love that event so very much (this was only my second time attending Re:co). The last time I went was heavily focused on green coffee and sustainability.
It was amazing, but this consumer-focus (or “coffee-drinker” focus) felt right on time.
Why?
Because as we all get squeezed with costs and competition it’s more important than ever to tap into what coffee drinkers are looking for.
And this is relevant throughout the supply chain!
All roads lead to coffee drinkers.
If that’s true (and I obviously believe it is), then it’s more important than ever to tap into market research.
There were four fabulous Re:co talks on this very subject:
Cheryl Hung expressed the importance of the story behind the numbers. Data is an incredibly valuable tool that, ultimately, is trying to tell us about the people those numbers describe. Her talk reminded me to humanize market research and make solutions for those very real people.
I was reminded about the importance of creating experiences for consumers by Bill Durrant. He shared how Doritos made a memorable experience for concert-goers at Coachella by offering a tasting menu that appealed to all of the senses. And there wasn’t a single Dorito in sight.
While Bill pushed the audience to consider the Zillennials, it was Andrea Hernández who told us ever-so-clearly about the differences between Millennials, Gen-Z, and Alpha. And the Re:co team was spot on when including her in the speaker line-up. The trends that these upcoming generations are attracted to will tell what the future holds.
Andrea and Mintel, a market research company, agree that coffee with functional benefits will continue to be valued. Millennials love to buy products that will boost their health. Meanwhile, Gen-Z will be so accustomed to functionality they’ll come to expect their food and drinks to perform at the highest level possible.
Lastly, Mel Bandler showed us the link between how sustainability shows up on the shelf and consumer acceptance. It reminded me of the work I’ve done as a product marketing manager wrestling with which certifications to apply for. Which ones really change consumer willingness to pay? Does anyone actually care? Turns out, brandishing these certification logos can really help consumers navigate the often complicated sphere of sustainability.
tl:dr
We’ve gotta know who we’re talking to.
We need to take the time to understand those we’re talking to.
Experiences have staying power.
Clarity supports communication, which supports sales.
So what do you think? Do we talk enough about coffee drinkers in our industry? Or maybe you think we talk about them too much?
Cheers,
Miranda
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