wondered why a country that exported some of the world s finest coffee beans offered such a

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1 Shannon Seglem December 1, 2012 Café Britt SMP 1. Drinking a cup of lousy Costa Rican coffee in 1985, avid coffee drinker Steve Aroson wondered why a country that exported some of the world s finest coffee beans offered such a mediocre cup of coffee. Well, that was just it. The fine coffee beans were being exported and only the other beans were left for local consumption. That s when Aroson got the idea for Café Britt. The country had all the right ingredients to make his business a success - quality gourmet coffee beans from the best mills and from knowledgeable roasters who had a passion to create a quality cup of coffee that was also environmentally responsible (Aronson, 2003). In 1990, Steve Aronson helped a student at the University of Michigan with his master s thesis in agricultural economics. The student spent his summer collecting research and data on Costa Rican coffee beans and production which helped Aronson and his team at Café Britt in this business. Today, that student is Café Britt s CEO Pablo Vargas, and with his help, Café Britt has expanded its employees from 25 in 1990, to almost 1,000 (Vargas, 2010). Café Britt is in sold retail, institutional, wholesale stores and online. It has more than 77 stores in eight countries including the United States, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru and Chile. Online, it is possible to purchase bags of coffee ranging in price from $10.45 to $ Café Britt offers 12 different varieties of coffees coming in both beans and ground. It also offers chocolates, nuts and sweets in 7 oz. bags retailing for $ Café Britt has boosted the exports coming from Costa Rice and in 1991, it became the first Costa Rican company to combine coffee with tourism (Vargas, 2010). The coffee company opened its plantation to the public to create a fun and educational experience of the true gourmet

2 coffee process. Since opening, some 50,000 people take the tour each year. In 2010, Café Britt was had a projected revenue of $71 million, an 18% increase from 2009 (Sandoval, 2011). 2. Target Audience The primary audience for Café Britt is females ages This product is targeted for women who are out in the working field. Members of this target audience have incomes greater than $50,000 a year, and the majority have a college degree. Members of this group like to travel and find themselves environmentally responsible. They like to try new things and consider themselves adventurous. People in this group might not have the time or resources to travel but they enjoy the authentic taste of exotic flavors. They are an adventurous group that value experience and strive for self appreciation from Maslow s hierarchy of needs. This group may prefer organic products over nonorganic and they do not buy large name brand products (Silverstein, 2007). This group may or may not have kids but they need energy to get them throughout the day and they understand the value of a good cup of coffee. 3. List of Features and Benefits Feature Poas Volcanic Earth Whole Bean Gourmet Costa Rican Coffee. (Grown in misty ecosystems and fertile soil Benefit This is a unique flavor that is only offered in Costa Rica. The soil is treated uniquely and responsibly by Costa Rican farmers. on Costa Rica's most visited active Poas

3 Volcano.) Costa Rica Light Roast Whole Bean Gourmet Coffee No preservatives makes the coffee more fresh and provides a sense of well-being. (All natural 100% SHB High Mountain Grown Costa Rican Light Roast Gourmet Coffee. Contains no preservatives) Costa Rica Shade Grown Organic Coffee (Harvested from 100% organic plantations. Putting good organic goods into your body. Provides a sense of earth-friendly responsibility. Farmers practice sustainable and earthfriendly agriculture.) Costa Rica Fair Trade Coffee Provides a sense of social responsibility. (The growers cooperatives that supply it are 100% Fair Trade Certified. Their wages and working conditions meet minimum standards set by Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International.) Peru Decaf Coffee (European water based decaffeination Enjoy a cup of pure tasting coffee, without the jitters. You ll never know it s decaf. process that preserves this remarkable coffee s outstanding aroma and flavor.) 4. Current Brand Image

4 Café Britt has a positive reputation among consumers and critics. Not only do customers love the non-bitter, smooth cup of coffee from each bag, but they also love the authentic taste they would get if they were actually visiting Costa Rica. The brand has a current rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars for their gourmet coffee on Amazon (Amazon, 2007). The company has also received awards from companies and magazines such as BizRate s Platinum Award, where customers rate their favorite products from various categories. Café Britt has also been acknowledged for its environmentally appropriate product by Lima Airport Partners Acknowledge and by San Jose, Costa Rica. Awards: Company Award 2009 BizRate Circle of Excellence Platinum Award 2009 Summa Our people have done it again Britt ranks 4 th in the regional leadership 2009 Buzzillions Reviewer s Choice Awar Most for your Money Lima Airport Partners Acknowledges Appropriate management on environment, security and occupational health Summa Magazine Top 3 leading companies in Central America and Dominican Republic San Jose, Costa Rica Providing Excellence Award April Magazine America Economia Third most competitive company in Latin America amonth region s top 100.

5 2004 Summa magazine One of the 100 most admired companies in Central America 2003 Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce Innovation Award 5. Direct Competitors and Brand Images Direct competition for Café Britt is gourmet coffee from brands such as Starbucks, Green Mountain, Trader Joes and Whole Foods. Consumers who enjoy coffee but want to try something other than the mass-marketed, ordinary coffee will indulge in Café Britt. Starbucks and Green Mountain are direct competitors because they are more expensive, quality coffee products similar to Café Britt. Although Café Britt competes with these high end relaters it is important to understand that Starbucks is widely known and has 16,785 stores worldwide (Starbucks, 2011). 6. Indirect Competitors and Brand Images. The indirect competition for Café Britt is a wide range of other companies who may sell beverages including tea makers, soft drink bottlers and juice bottlers. Companies like Coca-Cola hold a strong reputation through the soft drink market and are a popular choice for thirsty individuals. However, many soft drinks contain too much sugar and are unhealthy and tea does not provide the same benefits as a cup of coffee. 7. Promotional History and Current Campaign Goal In 1985, Café Britt started out as the first gourmet coffee roaster in Costa Rica with the goal to create a memorable cup of coffee. Since then, Café Britt has succeeded to introduce

6 millions to the fine Costa Rican coffee while forwarding its local responsibilities to the community and environment. In the past, Café Britt has promoted its company by combining tourism with its coffee making process. With the expansion of creating more stores in airports and creating an online website, Café Britt has expanded its image and company revenue. The company hopes to further its brand image and reputation by targeting coffee drinkers who are also adventurous and thrive for the finer flavors in life. 8. Motivation Whether consumers are starting off their early morning routine, about to drive the kids to school or about to crash mid day, Café Britt believes you should never have to settle for a mediocre cup of coffee when you need to perk up your day. Café Britt is the first and only coffee company in Puerto Rico that uses its own top quality coffee beans from the best beans and knowledgeable resources to make an environmentally responsible cup of coffee from an authentic Puerto Rican business. Café Britt coffee will satisfy customers with its non-bitter, smooth authentic taste of Costa Rica that they cannot get at any super market. 9. Desired Brand Image Customers already realize that Café Britt is different from their ordinary coffee because it is from the finest Costa Rican coffee beans and each bag is carefully made (Amazon). What they do not realize is that Café Britt is an environmentally responsible company that makes sure its product stands out from the rest. Café Britt hopes that it can get other coffee consumers to step out of their ordinary coffee habits and try a cup from Café Britt. The coffee is reasonable priced, rivaling prices of Starbucks and other high-end coffee venders, but it offers a unique taste not

7 available anywhere else. In the future we would like to see more coffee consumers choosing Café Britt by expanding our product into more wholesellers. 10. Selected Benefits with Features and Benefits Feature Costa Rica Light Roast Whole Bean Gourmet Coffee Benefit No preservatives makes the coffee more fresh and provides a sense of well-being. (All natural 100% SHB High Mountain Grown Costa Rican Light Roast Gourmet Coffee. Contains no preservatives) Costa Rica Shade Grown Organic Coffee (Harvested from 100% organic plantations. Putting good organic goods into your body. Provides a sense of earth-friendly responsibility. Farmers practice sustainable and earthfriendly agriculture.) Costa Rica Fair Trade Coffee. Provides a sense of social responsibility. (The growers cooperatives that supply it are 100% Fair Trade Certified. Their wages and working conditions meet minimum standards set by Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International.) 11. Strategic Message

8 You, adventurous and social conscious 25 to 39 year old women should try Café Britt because it is an authentic and exotic flavor that you cannot find from other coffee companies.