Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
Issue link: http://freshcup.epubxp.com/i/43236
PACKED WITH PURPOSE continued from page 33 more struggles await. Customers, for one thing, are accustomed to coffee coming in bags, so while a brand with alternative packag- ing may stand out, it can also confuse. "People didn't understand our refill policy," McGovern says of Sterling's glass jar program, which was phased out to make room for the parcel. "A lot of things required explaining." There's also the issue that jars and bottles will add weight and fragility to your offer- ings. Neither of those attributes is partic- ularly positive if a roaster needs to mail orders across the country or even across town. "They can be prohibitively expensive," Deborah Di Bernardo says of the glass jars her company, Roast House, uses to package its Nutcracker Suite holiday blend. "They're just ridiculous to ship." &20081,7< &(17(5(' So with all the logistical elements working against the idea, why use alternative packag- ing at all? Starbucks, Peet's and the other big boys all stick to bags, and they do all right. One answer is that by using containers consumers aren't used to seeing coffee in, a brand immediately sets itself apart from national chains, sometimes overcoming the huge advantages in brand familiarity that bigger companies typically hold. In fact, most roasters that employ jars and bottles find ways to tie their packaging to the local com- munity they depend on for support. When Roast House, based in Spokane, Wash., was ready to package its Nutcracker product for the first time last fall, the company got local fans and friends involved, opening the roast- ery for a one-night party during which people ate, drank … and stuck Nutcracker labels on jars. "We really try to create community," says Di Bernardo. However, she does offer a word of caution based on her labeling fest from last year: "Don't encourage your friends to drink when you want labels put on straight." Also, the fact that more rigid packaging doesn't work well for shipping can actually help a brand boost its local cred. Because it's unlikely a roaster will be able to distribute its specially jarred or boxed-up product too far beyond the company headquarters, availability remains limited, and local customers and out- 34 Fresh Cup Magazine freshcup.com 6867$,1(' 35(6(1&( Nontraditional packaging also can help a roaster achieve the sustainability goals many independents hold close to their cof- fee hearts. Di Bernardo says Roast House came up with the glass jar idea as the com- pany began investigating ways to move away from bags that are thrown out once the beans are used up. On the back of the Roast House jars there's even a label encouraging customers to re-use the container to store bolts, screws or other household items. It's a crafty play that helps keep the Roast House name on customers' cabinets and minds for years to come, but it also helps the company achieve one of its core values. "The purpose of starting our company beside supporting ourselves was to use it as a vehicle to share sustainability and raise consciousness," says Di Bernardo. "It's coming to be." Ruhl of Merry Oaks in North Carolina says ROAST HOUSE, a roaster in Spokane, Wash., uses glass jars to help its holiday blend stand out. he started using Mason jars to cut costs by using fewer bags (the family had scores of jars on hand because of his wife's penchant for canning foods), but he soon found that the vessels struck a chord with individuals who had the environment on their minds. "Some people are really into that aspect of it," Ruhl says. "We've had lots of conversations continued on page 36 of-town visitors often view the products as emblems of a place and time. "For us, the word 'souvenir' is really important," says McGovern. "There will always be people who want something to represent their trip to Portland or to Sterling." That concept reflects what may be the biggest advantage of nontraditional packag- ing: its powerful attraction to gift-givers. While roasters and baristas may themselves be dedicated to the intricacies of taste, the undeniable fact remains that many consum- ers, especially come December, will be buy- ing coffee based more on looks and brand- ing than anything palate-related. A product that's distinct, has some heft and represents a local company is often just what holiday shoppers want. "If it's visually attractive and can sit on a cabinet or shelf as a conversation piece, it's going to be given as a gift," says Heroes' Ferguson. "Around the holidays, our sales of these products pick up."