checkin' the competition...know thine enemy!

i'm doing a little sleuth work today, probing into the deep recesses of the coffee distribution world. [that's so gross.] i found a great link on wikipedia that lists many instant coffee distributors, and i'm specifically investigating those who operate out of the united states, and are not large chains, such as starbucks or caribou. i would classify these mid-level coffee companies as my main competitors, while the larger companies and those outside of the u.s. could be classified as 'secondary' or 'tertiary.' at some point, i'd like to take my camera and check out what the coffee displays are like at a grocery store, or perhaps even a whole foods-type store; until then i will limit my investigation to the internet.

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okay so by now, i am finding that most smaller to mid-level coffee distributors don't offer instant coffee. i'm not surprised; i've always bought into the stigma that instant coffee just isn't worth a hoot, and it was reserved for those big, corporate, 'sell-out' brands that an audience like mine doesn't value very much. but is this merely a stigma? is there some truth to this myth that the only coffee worth drinking takes up at least 10 minutes of your morning? meher is on the scene to find out.

"Although it has a long shelf life, instant coffee quickly spoils if it is not kept dry. Instant coffee differs in make-up and taste from ground coffee. In particular, the percentage of caffeine in instant coffee is less, and bitter flavor components are more evident. The lowest quality coffee beans are often used in the production of instant coffee (the best beans are usually kept to be sold whole) and sometimes other unwanted residues from the harvest are used in the production process. Some products, such as corn, are also used to make the coffee condense more quickly (some manufacturers practice this)."

-wikipedia.org

okay, so that answers some questions! yes, instant coffee sort of sucks, when the roaster skimps on quality. so this is a great niche for my brand! instant coffee that doesn't put corn in your brew. a small company that's focused on quality and taste is likely to fill in the gap that most large distributors of coffee, such as folger's, maxwell house, and nescafe, leave in their haste to make the big bucks. so while my product may be a bit more expensive, it will also be a bit more awesome. a smart chick who is low on time will probably be willing to pay more for a tasty and hasty way to get coffee, right?



this is from the brand diedrich coffee, and while i have no intention of making my brand anything like this one, i just wanted to point out how interesting their packaging is. as a critique, their 'system' of branding is a bit too disparate; i don't know if i would be able to identify a bag of coffee at a store as their's immediately, since they change the image and typography based on the origin of the beans. still, it's a cool idea, and someone intellectual who appreciates art and aesthetics might go for something like this.

until next time...