Necessity for generic promotion
At first glance, it may seem that generic promotion of coffee is
unnecessary. The widespread consumption of coffee suggests that demand for the
product is practically guaranteed. But there is a real need to educate
potential consumers in emerging markets. Demand for coffee can decline as has
been witnessed in the United States and in some parts of Europe.
Sporadic fragmented attempts at generic coffee promotion in the United States,
for example, were unable to prevent the decline in daily consumption per head.
It was only once the spotlight was turned back on coffee, thanks primarily to
the specialty movement, that there was any real improvement in the situation.
Although not entirely generic, a significant proportion of the advertising
content promoting specialty coffee to date has been informative, educational
and outwardly unbiased towards brands, so much so that it has been essentially
generic. However there is now a very real danger that as the initial enthusiasm
for specialty wears off, and with the growing corporatization of the specialty
sector, the generic content of any promotion will diminish quite rapidly. There
is therefore a need to replace this with an ongoing generic campaign in order
to ensure that any gains are not only held on to but are also built upon.
In most countries coffee faces immense competitive pressures from the strong
and ingenious generic promotional efforts of such beverages as tea and milk as
well as from the many well-financed campaigns promoting various brands of soft
drink and juice. These industries would like to convince coffee drinkers to
switch to their products. Coffee drinkers need reassurance that coffee is the
right drink for them. In addition new potential consumers need very basic
information about coffee to allay any fears they might have about coffee and to
learn the best ways of preparing the beverage. This is best achieved through
generic promotion.