The Tasteful Reinvention Of A Classic Coffee Brand

Few brands are more strongly identified with the classic cup of coffee than Folgers.

But the coffee market has become increasingly complex. To keep up with the emerging premium coffee trend, Folgers developed a new premium offering called 1850, named for the year the company was founded. The new brand would leverage its long history and reputation for great coffee and would be produced using a more artisanal approach designed to appeal to the connoisseur market.

To ensure a successful launch, Folgers needed not only to have the right marketing, they also needed to create a coffee that delivered the premium taste and overall premium experience that the target market expected. The key to creating long-term customers who purchased 1850 beyond an initial trial all came down to one question: Did they like what was in their cup?

To test, refine and select the potential formulations for 1850 Coffee, Folgers partnered with 360 Market Reach (now Leger) to help identify the right roasts and blends to motivate repeat purchase with their target consumer. We conducted an IHUT (In-Home-Use-Test) among concept acceptors, to evaluate product appeal among those most likely to try the product.

Participants prepared and tasted one of a number of formulation options and evaluated the coffee on many attributes including taste, look and aroma. This enabled us to identify the formulations that best met consumer expectations for the entire experience based on the product positioning.

The new 1850 formulations were also tested against a few leading competitors in the premium coffee segment to ensure an excellent coffee tasting experience for all new users.

The result was a successful launch that enabled Folgers to build a name for itself among premium coffee brands, and position 1850 to compete more effectively in a crowded category.