After its launch in 1923, Kenco is now worth more than ยฃ157m with plans to press on and increase its market share. Jade Burke speaks to Martyn Bell, category marketing manager at JDE, owner of The Kenco Coffee Company, about his aims to raise the profile of the Cofficionado campaign and why PAs can have confidence in the products.
Mike, the cofficionado
How has this year been for Kenco? Whatโs new for the brand?
Kenco is having a phenomenal year following the unveiling of the brandโs new-look packaging last year. The design now reflects the passion and commitment to coffee weโve been perfecting since we started in 1923.
As part of our major investment in Kenco, we have launched an advertising campaign featuring Mike, The Cofficionado. On top of this, weโve also launched new products: ready-to-drink Cappuccino, Latte, Mocha and Flat White sachets and iced lattes.
As a result of our work over the last year, The Kenco Coffee Company is now worth ยฃ157m with growth of 16.9 per cent compared to last year. We are now in almost a million more homes than this time last year as well, with penetration standing at 8m UK households. This is a brilliant result for the Kenco brand and we intend to press on with our brilliant success and further increase household penetration and market share.
How does the Kenco brand aim to tap into the PA market?
Our new-look packaging and advertising reflects the high-quality coffee we are famed for producing. We recognise that the task of ordering coffee for the office often falls to personal assistants, and thereโs a degree of risk in changing the kind of coffee stocked.
However, it is important that staff donโt need to leave the office for good quality drinks. We want assistants to have confidence that the Kenco brand will deliver a high-quality coffee to their colleagues and that it is safe to switch.
Kenco Coffee
Meetings and break-out sessions during the day are part and parcel of a PAโs role. What Kenco products would work for these?
Meeting and greeting areas within office spaces often require a premium coffee to help make the right first impression with visitors. Kenco Millicano fills the brief here, as an easy-to-serve filter coffee experience without any of the headache presented by filter papers and jugs. Most people at work want a coffee that is the same as or comparable to the type they drink at home.
For example, research from the British Coffee Association found that at least 25 per cent of coffee is drunk in the workplace, with the UKโs coffee consumption soaring to 95 million cups a day in 2018, up from 70 million in 2008. By choosing a well-recognised and trusted brand like Kenco, PAs can be assured that office workers will be satisfied with the quality of their coffee.
Can you talk us through the Cofficionado campaign?
The Cofficionado โ or Mike as we like to call him โ is the star of our new advertising campaign. He knows exactly how people like their coffee just by looking at them and in essence reflects the passion and coffee expertise ingrained in everyone who works at The Kenco Coffee Company.
The Cofficionado launched on TV and social media earlier this year and will run throughout 2018 as part of a significant advertising and marketing campaign.
How can the Kenco advertising influence a working PA?
The Cofficionado campaign is instantly recognisable and underlines our belief that thereโs a Cofficionado in every work place โ someone who cares passionately about the quality of coffee, both that they drink and that they serve to colleagues and customers or clients.
What are your future plans for the Kenco brand?
We plan to continue raising the profile of our Cofficionado over the coming years and are bringing some exciting new innovations to market, such as iced coffee. Consumers will be able to replicate High Street-standard iced coffees simply by adding cold water to produce a great-tasting cold latte.
Why are brand names so important?
The Kenco brand name is a by-word for quality and trust. We invest heavily in our brands every year. Consumers have come to trust in the Kenco name as it carries a guarantee of consistency of taste that gives people confidence that theyโll be able to enjoy the perfect cup of coffee, each time.
Can you tell us a bit about the on-pack promotion competition?
To celebrate our Cofficionado campaign, weโre giving people a chance to win a ยฃ1,923 voucher โ along with limited-edition Cofficionado mugs, samples and coffee paraphernalia to enhance their coffee experience.
Kenco cofficionado competition
To enter, budding Cofficionados should look out for promotional tins of Kenco Rich (750g), Kenco Smooth (750g), Kenco Decaf (500g) and Kenco Millicano (500g). These tins feature a sticker with Mike, the Kenco Cofficionado, along with a reference number. Customers need to simply enter that code on our website: win1923.com to see whether they have won one of the 3,001 prizes.
Why should assistants consider the Kenco brand?
The Kenco Coffee Company lives and breathes coffee. We are one of the UKโs leading brands and instantly recognised by consumers. By choosing Kenco, PAs can be sure they are offering their colleagues the same high-quality, freeze-dried coffee they would choose to drink at home.
