Keurig Branded Single Cup Coffee Maker Named ‘Brand Of The Year’
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee and coffee makers, has announced that its Keurig® branded single cup coffee maker platform has been named “Brand of the Year” in the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend® Equity Study. Keurig received the highest ranking in the “Coffee Maker” category based on consumers’ perceptions of familiarity, quality and purchase consideration, a selection of several qualifying elements evaluated.
The Keurig branded single cup coffee maker platform received the highest numerical Equity Score among coffee maker brands included in the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study, which is an annual brand health assessment that surveys thousands of U.S. consumers online about their brand perceptions, measuring key touchstones, such as emotional connection, functional attributes, brand awareness, influence and familiarity, that are integral in effective and compelling brand development. Harris Interactive defines a brand as a set of persuasive promises about a product, service, or organization that differentiates it from others in a universally positive, contextually relevant and personally compelling way.
“Keurig’s mission of a brewer on every counter and a beverage for every occasion goes beyond brewing a great cup of coffee,” says Michelle Stacy, president of GMCR’s Keurig business unit. “The Keurig brand truly connects with consumers by offering choice, quality, convenience and simplicity in their every day lives. The success of our single cup brewing system has been driven by offering a full range of high quality brand and beverage varieties for our Keurig branded single cup brewers that are at the cutting edge of technology, all designed to provide delicious beverages at the touch of a button.”
In the second quarter of the 2012 calendar year (April-June), according to recent NPD, a leading syndicated data provider, data reports, Keurig also was the top-ranked brand in the Coffee/Espresso Maker category based on dollar share and had the top four and five of the top 10 brewers in the Coffee/Espresso Maker category based on dollar sales. Notably, just two months post launch, Keurig’s newest addition, the Keurig Vue® brewer, was ranked seventh in the Coffee/Espresso Maker category based on dollar sales.
Earlier this year, the same Harris Poll EquiTrend study declared the Green Mountain Coffee® brand, another flagship brand in the GMCR family of brands “Brand of the Year” in the Coffee category.
Krispy Kreme Debuts County Fair-Inspired Fare
Krispy Kreme® is taking your taste buds on a trip to the county fair with four new blue ribbon doughnuts and beverages. The new Caramel Apple Cake Doughnut and Cotton Candy Doughnut are available through Sept. 30 at participating Krispy Kreme U.S. and Canada locations. You can pair these tasty treats with a Krispy Kreme Frozen Cotton Candy Chiller or Caramel Latte.
“County fairs are a fall tradition, and caramel apple and cotton candy are always popular fair fare,” says Ron Rupocinski, Krispy Kreme corporate chef. “The caramel apple cake doughnut is rich and decadent, and the new cotton candy doughnut is a sweet and fluffy delight.”
• Cotton Candy: An Original Glazed® doughnut dipped in blue cotton candy sugar;
• Caramel Apple Cake: A glazed, apple flavored traditional cake doughnut, topped with a smooth caramel icing;
• Cotton Candy Chiller: An icy and refreshing version of the fresh spun classic treat with a hint of raspberry and blueberry flavors; and
• Caramel Latte: Topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle, served on ice or hot.
Caramel Apple Cake Doughnuts are also sold individually in participating grocery and convenience stores; find out more here.
Caribou Coffee To Partner With Chicago’s Jewel-Osco
Caribou Coffee Co. Inc., the second largest company-operated premium coffeehouse retailer in the United States, plans to expand its retail and commercial footprint in the Chicagoland area by teaming up with Jewel-Osco, the city’s market-leading grocery chain.
To kick-off this partnership, Caribou Coffee opened its first retail location within Jewel-Osco’s Barrington store last week, with plans to introduce two additional coffeehouses in the grocery’s Hoffman Estates and Countryside locations in the near future, as well as five additional coffeehouses within Jewel-Osco in 2013.
Through this partnership, Caribou will not only offer its signature, cozy coffeehouse environment and distinct offerings to Chicago consumers who visit Jewel-Osco stores, but the brand also will introduce its premium packaged coffee throughout the Supervalu-owned grocery chain. These offerings include a broad spectrum of roasts and blends that will provide shoppers with more quality options, according to a news release.
“With the introduction of Caribou’s partnership with Jewel-Osco, our goal is to provide Chicagoans convenient access to Caribou’s best-in-class, premium coffee products, paired with a comfortable, warm and welcoming coffeehouse setting,” said Mike Tattersfield, president and CEO of Caribou Coffee. “This is a significant partnership for Caribou, as it allows us to expand our distribution in one of our key markets and accelerate Caribou’s growth among diverse business units in partnership with Chicago’s market-leading grocery chain.”
The Jewel-Osco partnership is a key milestone in Caribou’s plans for multi-channel growth. As part of its expansion strategy, Caribou plans to further expand among grocery and mass merchandise retailers nationwide.
Additionally, to celebrate the openings of the new Jewel-Osco locations this year, Caribou will reward three fans with free Caribou beverages for the rest of the year, through its official “Text-to-Win Sweepstakes.” For each location, Caribou fans can simply text a dedicated keyword during that store’s respective contest period to the short code 70626 for a chance to win. Caribou will name one sweepstakes winner for each new Caribou location and participants must be residents of the new location’s city. For the Barrington location, fans can text Barrington to 70626 during the contest period, through Aug. 27, for a chance to win free beverages for the rest of the year.
Evolution Fresh To Open Juicery In SoCal
Seattle-based Evolution Fresh plans to open a juicery that will support 160 U.S. manufacturing jobs in 
, Calif., later next year. Furthering its commitment to expand the availability of super-premium, cold-crafted juice, the company also reports that new flavorful Evolution Fresh products are arriving in select stores on the West Coast.
High-tech juicery to quadruple production, distribution capacity
One month following Starbucks’ commitment to create hundreds of direct and indirect jobs with the construction of a new soluble coffee plant in Augusta, Ga., the company’s SoCal juicery—expected to be operational in late 2013—will produce Evolution Fresh juices currently made at its existing juicery in San Bernardino, Calif. All 120 San Bernardino employees have been offered positions at the new facility, with 40 additional partner positions expected to be created once the Rancho Cucamonga juicery is fully operational.
“Our new juicery marks an important milestone as we continue to revolutionize the $3.4 billion and growing cold-crafted juice category,” said Jeff Hansberry, president of channel development. “It will more than quadruple our production and distribution capacity while continuing to deliver the flavor, vitamins, and nutrients of raw fruits and vegetables retained by Evolution Fresh’s innovative use of high pressure processing (HPP).”
The $70 million, 260,00-s.f. juicery will be capable of peeling, squeezing, cracking and pressing approximately four to five times the amount of juice per year as the current facility using the company’s never-heated HPP technology. It will be Starbucks’ sixth manufacturing site in the U.S., adding to the company’s existing network of four roasting plants in Kent, Wash., York, Pa., Sandy Run, S.C., and Carson Valley, Nev., and a soluble coffee plant that is currently under construction in Augusta, Ga.
“During such challenging economic times, it’s important for Starbucks to continue to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing sector by investing in new facilities and creating jobs,” said Peter Gibbons, EVP of global supply chain operations. “We have long believed that there is a direct link between our success and the vitality of the communities in which we do business. This latest investment, along with the soluble coffee plant we recently broke ground on in Augusta, are good examples of how building high-tech manufacturing facilities in America makes good business sense by aligning our supply chain close to consumer demand while supporting the communities where our customers and partners live and work.”
New Evolution Fresh bottled juices in distribution
Evolution Fresh has added three juices to its current line-up in select natural food and premium grocery stores across the West Coast. In addition, a new flavor, Raspberry Watermelon, will be available for the first time in these stores as well as Evolution Fresh stores.
• Cucumber Pineapple Ginger—a balance of sweet and spicy, refreshing cucumber and pineapple juices with a hint of ginger;
• Pineapple Coconut Water—naturally hydrating, light and refreshing with a touch of pineapple;
• Spicy Lemonade—delicious lemonade with a hint of ginger and cayenne for a refreshing kick; and
• New Raspberry Watermelon—the taste of fresh watermelon complemented with raspberries.
Each of these products, which are never heated, demonstrate how Evolution Fresh is continuing to innovate the cold-crafted juice category by bringing customers the vibrancy and convenience of real, pure ingredients while they are on the go, the company says in a news release. Over time, Evolution Fresh plans to continue to build on its product line-up with additional seasonal and core juices.
“Evolution Fresh juice is now available to more consumers than ever before, and we are pleased to be introducing new juices to our product line in response to consumer interest in what the brand delivers,” said Hansberry. “Customers are looking for convenient, high-quality and nutritious beverages and foods, and we see an opportunity to harness the intense consumer interest in Evolution Fresh products coming to market, both in Starbucks retail stores and in select natural food and premium grocery aisles.”
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop and Tassimo to Offer Tims Coffee
Tim Hortons coffee drinkers will soon be able to enjoy their Tims coffee at the touch of a button.
Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop and Kraft Foods have announced an agreement to begin offering Tim Hortons premium blend coffee, including decaf and latte, starting in November as T DISCs for Kraft’s Tassimo on-demand beverage system in the United States and Canada. Tassimo is one of the fastest growing on-demand single serve beverage brands in North America.
The Tim Hortons T DISCs and Tassimo brewer will be sold exclusively through more than 500 participating Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop restaurants in the United States, as well as online at timhortons.com and tassimodirect.com.
“Kraft Foods is already a long-time strategic foodservice partner of Tim Hortons and their Tassimo brand is a high quality product we are excited to bring into our restaurants,” said Paul House, executive chairman, CEO and president of Tim Hortons. “We look forward to entering this rapidly growing market and making home brewing even more convenient for Tim Hortons coffee fans.”
Every Tassimo T DISC features a barcode containing the exact brewing instructions for each beverage. The brewer reads the barcode and then initiates the required water temperature, water quantity and brew time. This ensures that every Tim Hortons coffee brewed by a Tassimo brewer will taste the way it’s meant to be.
“We are very excited to expand our coffee options with such a well-respected partner. And, for Tim Hortons Cafe & Bake Shop coffee lovers, Tassimo is a great way to enjoy their favorite coffee at home,” said Satrina Boyce, director of marketing for Kraft. “Our barcode technology ensures their coffee will always taste the way they expect. We know that because once they try it, people tell us how much they love Tassimo. Now, they will have the chance to love Tassimo and Tim Hortons together.”
Gelson’s Market to Carry Marley Coffee
Marley Coffee has signed an agreement with supermarket chain Gelson’s that will expand its distribution in California.
The Los Angeles Business Journal reports that Gelson’s chain consists of 17 locations in California: Calabasas, Century City, Dana Point, Encino, Hollywood, Irvine, Marina del Rey, Newport Beach, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake/Los Feliz, Tarzana, Valley Village/NoHo, West Hollywood, and Westlake Village.
“Gelson’s is an excellent addition to our family of retail partners as we continue to expand and make Marley Coffee accessible to coffee lovers,” Marley Coffee Chief Executive Brent Toeys said in a statement. “We are excited to work with Gelson’s, as we continue to expand our retail distribution in the U.S.”
The Gelson’s stores will sell Marley Coffee Organic Ground 8-oz. bags in the following varieties: Get Up Stand Up (light roast), One Love 100% Ethiopian Tirgacheffe (medium roast), Mystic Morning (medium roast), and Buffalo Soldier (dark roast), according to the Journal.
Beverly Hills-based Jammin Java, which does business as Marley Coffee, provides sustainably grown, ethically farmed and artisan-roasted coffee through various U.S. and international distribution channels, under the Marley Coffee brand name. The company is part of the Bob Marley family’s business ventures.
BettyMills.com Announces Top 10 Selling Snacks
The Betty Mills Co. an online B2B shopping destinations, known for its Snack Rewards™ loyalty program, has announced its top 10 selling snacks for the second quarter of 2012. The ranking is determined by the most unique customers who purchased the items during the period.
“Our Top 10 Snacks list continues to prove that America still likes the old time favorites, however the organic and all natural snacks are quickly scaling up the ranks and will certainly make an appearance in Betty Mills Top 10 Snacks list soon,” said Victor Hann, CEO of Betty Mills. “With Snack Rewards, our Free Office Snacks loyalty program, our customers are introducing thousands of new snack ideas into the break room. We are changing the way America snacks.”
Betty Mills Top 10 Snacks List
1. Folgers Classic Roast Regular, ground, 33.9 oz.
2. Land O Lakes Mini Moo’s Creamer, 5 oz.
3. Keebler Sunshine Cheez-It Crackers, 1.5 oz.
4. Snyder’s Mini Pretzels Fat Free, 1.5 oz.
5. Nabisco Variety Pack Cookies, 1.75 oz. variety pack
6. Keebler Sunshine Famous Amos Cookies, 2 oz.
7. M & M Mars Strawberry Twizzlers, 2-lb. tub
8. Julian’s Recipe Natural Butter Waffles, vanilla
9. Frito-Lay Grandma’s Vanilla Creme Cookies, 2.25 oz.
10. Campbell’s Soup Crackers, cheddar, 1.5 oz.
Kahlua Unveils Canned Iced Coffee
Kahlua has introduced a convenient, easy way to enjoy iced coffee—in a can. Kahlua® Iced Coffee, a refreshingly simple iced coffee that contains a delicioso taste of Kahlua, comes in a convenient to-go can. With its new iced coffee, the company’s sleek cans are perfect for any gathering or a quick coffee break, while maintaining the sophisticated coffee flavor of traditional Kahlua. In addition, canning the drink keeps the blends fresh and genuine, according to a news release.
“The portability of Kahlua’s new Iced Coffee makes it the perfect addition to summer parties, afternoon cookouts, or just to sip on the go,” said Michelle Sanders, brand director for Kahlua. “The sleek and modern cans offer simple convenience in the form of pre-mixed Kahlua cocktails, which means hosts and party-goers can spend more time mingling and less time mixing drinks.”
Kahlua Iced Coffee delivers the artisanal taste of iced dark coffee using Kahlua’s locally sourced and 100 percent Arabica coffee beans from Veracruz, Mexico. The new iced coffee comes in three flavors: Iced Espresso, Iced Mocha and Iced Coffee with Cinnamon Spice.
Kahlua Iced Coffee, which is 5 percent alcohol by volume, comes in a 200ml can. The new drink is available nationwide, with an MSRP of $2.50 a can, or $9.99 for a four-pack.
