Brewing Brand
WHEN GEVALIA KAFFE became more famous for its coffeemaker premium than for its gourmet coffee, the company knew it was time for a change.
After percolating for a while, Gevalia shifted its advertising focus from response generation to brand building.
Now, even though the Swedish bean roaster continues to distribute “millions” of the brew machines it’s used as a premium since 1992, Gevalia has “established the brand as high- quality coffee and not just the coffeemaker,” says vice president/general manager Bridgette Heller.
Today’s ads feature the brand and the quality of the coffee much more prominently, with the premium taking second stage. In older ads the Gevalia name was tucked into a corner of the ad, with the coffeepot grabbing the spotlight.
Marketers launched an awareness and brand-building effort last summer in two waves. The first full-size ads appeared in a range of print media and listed an 800 number and the company’s Web address (www.gevalia.com). One ad featured the image of a waiter’s hand balancing a tray carrying a china coffeepot and two steaming cups of java with no mention of the premium. “It was our first step at building the Gevalia brand as forcefully as we have historically generated response,” Heller says.
In September the second phase started, with a goal to generate response. The ads incorporated the same core elements of the first campaign plus the premium. Prospects were targeted through direct response print ads and direct mail. Heller declined to comment on specific numbers but did say, “We’re very happy with the response.”
As for the future, Heller says because the consumer brand-building push has been so successful, the company has started test marketing to small businesses. It intends to continue those efforts and the campaign next year.
