Seattle's Best Unveils Marketing Push

The coffee brand launched its first big promotional campaign.

January 12, 2011

CHICAGO - Seattle??s Best, a sibling of Starbucks Corp., has introduced a huge marketing campaign designed to up interest in its coffee, Advertising Age reports. The "Anywhere Coffee Is Needed" campaign focuses on bringing coffee to people in unusual circumstances.

Launched this week, the campaign marks the first branding promotion for Seattle??s Best, which is positioning itself as the fun coffee in contrast to Starbucks?? premium coffee branding. Seattle??s Best traditionally has had very little advertising support until now.

"With Seattle's Best, there wasn't a true brand position, there wasn't emotional positioning," said Michelle Gass, Seattle??s Best president. "Starbucks is premium, and Seattle's Best is more of a mass premium. The new 'Levels?? coffee system makes it really easy to position Seattle's best as mass premium, or approachable premium."

Starbucks purchased Seattle??s Best eight years ago, but neglected to do much with the brand, said Gass. Two years ago, Gass was hired to update Seattle??s Best.

Some analysts question whether the new campaign will siphon sales from Starbucks, but Darren Tristano, executive vice president of Technomic, thinks both coffee brands will do well. "There will be some competition, but it won't be head to head," he said. "In the grocery aisle, you may see a bit of cannibalization, but more likely the share gain for Seattle's Best will come from other competitors, such as Folgers or Millstone."

Seattle??s Best also has plans to test a coffee bar in several Canadian Wal-Marts, with expansion into the United States coming soon. Currently, the coffee brand has 550 locations in the United States and Canada, with most of those in Borders.

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