DALLAS – 7-Eleven is launching a multi-million-dollar “freshness guaranteed” advertising blitz in this month to increase awareness over its coffee program, as well as sales, which the company pegs at more than a million cups a day.
 
With taglines like “Our coffee’s fresher than your average joe” and “Guaranteed fresh or we’ll brew it new,” 7-Eleven is seeking to educate coffee drinkers about its commitment to quality.
Signs inside and outside U.S. 7-Eleven stores will let customers know they can ask a 7-Eleven employee to brew a fresh pot on the spot. The company said that local promotions will be a part of the marketing mix.

“We want to communicate quality along with convenience,” said Kerry Burson, 7-Eleven’s senior director of beverages. “7-Eleven and convenience are synonymous, but not everyone may know that each time we brew a pot of our top-selling coffees, we first grind beans just for those pots.

In fact, 7-Eleven noted that it has been grinding coffee beans in stores since the mid-1980s. While best known to many consumers for its Slurpees, the company actually sells more coffee than any other proprietary beverage. The company noted that more than half of its customers purchase a beverage when they visit the stores.

“We’re selling more than a convenient cup of coffee,” Burson said. “We offer quality, fresh-ground, fresh-brewed coffee for people on the go. Our customers want a great-tasting cup of coffee, fast and at a good value. Ounce for ounce, 7-Eleven offers one of the best coffee deals around.”

7-Eleven also is continuing the sales momentum of its January Supreme Breakfast Bite and coffee “meal deal” offer with additional radio advertising.

The January 2008 NACS Magazine cover story examines how retailers can find big profits in breakfast sales.