Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/673312
April 2016 37 but Morse noted that bagged coffee is still the biggest part of New England Coffee's business. While the category is saturated with single-serve players, Morse believes there is opportunity to further grow dis- tribution. "The channels may be exhaust- ed, but there are still new retailers–we're there with a bag, and now we can be there with a subcategory, K-Cups." New England Coffee is entering the cold brew coffee arena this year, with its Cold Brew Steeping Kit for the foodser- vice industry. Cold brewing produces a smoother, less bitter iced coffee. "We're testing our new Cold Brew Steeping Kit in the New England region this spring and summer because it is a big cold brew coffee market," said Morse. Celebrating with Consumers New England Coffee realizes what it means to reach 100 years old, and knows that it would not have done so without its loyal consumers and employees. In honor of its anniversary, the company launched its "Extraordinary People Campaign," a yearlong centennial outreach program that honors the company's customers and consumers for helping New England Coffee reach this milestone. "We're basically saying that 'we made it to 100 years because you are extraordinary,'" said Morse. "You don't make it to 100 years doing it alone—consumers play such a huge role, whether it's foodservice or retail, as do our employees. It's a true partnership." The Extraordinary People Campaign includes a #YouAreExtraordinary Tour. The tour (which features a Fiat outfitted with a giant cof- fee cup) is a mobile engagement program that will travel to restau- rants, coffee shops and community locations throughout New England to thank the 'extraordinary' people who serve and drink New England Coffee. Photos will capture the people in these communities and will be posted in the Extraordinary People Gallery on the company's website. Anyone is permitted to post photos to the gallery, to the company's Facebook page, Instagram or Twitter (with the hashtag #YouAreExtraordinary). Some of the sub- mitted photos may even be used in the campaign's advertising. The Extraordinary People Campaign also includes radio, digital and print advertising; a newly designed website; a new social media initiative; a commem- orative coffee table book; a short film that shares New England Coffee's 100-year history and cul- ture; and a special Centennial Reserve Coffee. "We like to say the Centennial Reserve Coffee is 'a blend 100 years in the making,'" Morse mused. "For this special blend, we used 100 percent Arabica Ethiopian and Kenyan coffee beans. [Morse noted that most beans used in New England Coffee's regular assortment are sourced from Central and South America.] The packaging–not retro in style–has been designed to stand out on the shelf. "The packaging uses a dark brown background color with a gold New England Coffee logo and clearly states 'Centennial Reserve.' While it does have the New England scene on the front that is on the standard items, it has been minimized and uses a unique treatment to further differentiate from our existing lineup of products," he said. A l t h o u g h t h e Centennial Reserve Coffee was created in honor of the centennial anni- versary, it was designed to be a permanent item. The Centennial Reserve is available in 10-oz bags of ground coffee (MSRP USD $7.99) at retail, and in foodservice, in whole bean bags and frac packs. It will be available in single-serve in the fall. Looking Ahead New England Coffee may be celebrat- ing its 100 th anniversary, but the com- pany is already looking towards its next milestone. In order to stay fresh and relevant in consumers' eyes, said Morse, you can never become complacent. "You have to make sure you are con- stantly out there in the marketplace looking for new ideas; researching con- sumers, asking them what they want, (what do they want in coffee, what do they expect, what hurdles can we over- come) and testing the brand with them," he said. "We can never get set- tled in our ways. The only way to reach 200 years is to maintain an open dialog with consumers. Consumers are always relevant and they will always remain a constant focus of ours."