• Most companies refresh their branding as soon as each seven to 10 years; nevertheless, given how younger specialty espresso is, roasters are inclined to rebrand at a better price.
• Over the past ten years, many espresso roasters, massive and small, have refreshed their packaging and model messaging to remain related and resonate with clients.
• A extremely risky market is placing extra stress on roasters to rebrand, nevertheless it’s a course of that requires cautious consideration.
• When workers perceive the motive and rationale behind the choice, it’s more likely to resonate extra with clients.

Model differentiation has at all times been a key a part of specialty espresso. Roasters emphasise their dedication to high quality, sustainability, craft, and consistency to retain clients and attract new ones.

However rising inflation charges and report inexperienced espresso costs are forcing companies to rethink their methods. Concurrently, market competitors has intensified, which pushes roasters and low retailers to search out new methods to face out.

Rebranding has emerged as an efficient option to differentiate, retaining model picture fashionable, contemporary, and related. Over the past decade, small and huge gamers alike, together with Starbucks, Stumptown, and Blue Bottle, have up to date their logos, packaging, and model messaging to reaffirm values and sustain with new traits.

There’s then a rising stress for specialty espresso roasters to observe within the footsteps of distinguished manufacturers and refresh their very own branding. Though this enterprise can actually achieve success, it requires a strategic method – and worth proposition must be clear.

I spoke to a number of individuals at Belga & Co., a specialty espresso roaster in Antwerp, to study concerning the firm’s rebranding expertise.

You may additionally like our article on why specialty espresso manufacturers care a lot about shopper belief.

Market saturation: The necessity to stand out

Specialty espresso consumption has proliferated in virtually all corners of the world over the previous couple of a long time. The Nationwide Espresso Affiliation’s newest NCDT report discovered that the variety of US residents consuming specialty espresso up to now day has elevated dramatically between 2020 and 2025. For each 100 cups of espresso consumed, 59 are specialty and 41 are conventional, representing a rise of 18% over the five-year interval.

In the meantime, in Europe, specialty espresso consumption can be steadily rising, together with in much less established markets. Between 2013 and 2021, the variety of specialty espresso retailers and roasteries in Romania elevated from solely three to greater than 120, whereas Hungary is now residence to over 150 specialty espresso companies.

Naturally, as curiosity in and consumption of specialty espresso has grown, shopper demand has shifted, and roasters and low retailers have wanted to maintain up.

”After I began working within the espresso trade in 2009, the main focus was purely on the standard of the product,” says Loïc Installé, the co-founder of Belga & Co., a specialty espresso roaster in Antwerp, Belgium, which additionally operates cafés in Brussels. “Again then, there was much less concentrate on how and what your model regarded like. 

“Folks had been solely beginning to uncover the totally different flavours and superb high quality that specialty espresso needed to supply, and beginning to set requirements for moral sourcing,” he provides. “Sixteen years later, the trade has modified lots.

“With the rise of social media advertising and marketing and consumption of specialty espresso, which has virtually turn into a mainstream product, roasters have to leap out from the group. We nonetheless have the main focus of serving a constantly high-quality product, however we now have to mix that with storytelling and a model picture that our purchasers can determine with.”

What makes rebranding efficient?

The espresso trade is at the moment going through a difficult interval, marked by uncertainty and volatility. Sustained excessive inexperienced espresso costs are forcing roasters to pivot their sourcing methods to cheaper but high-quality tons, whereas tariffs and rising working prices are straining revenue margins.

On this troublesome local weather, roasters want to remain related to their core viewers whereas additionally attracting new clients. Rebranding has emerged as a strategic response to a requirement for differentiation and relevance in an overcrowded market.

“By means of rebranding, we are able to redefine our visible identification and packaging, which helps us stand out in an more and more aggressive panorama,” Loïc says. “It additionally helps us keep related in a world the place design and storytelling have gotten increasingly necessary.”

Model identification has at all times been a key issue within the specialty espresso trade, particularly as a option to differentiate from commercial-grade opponents. Given the speedy price of innovation out there, it’s all too simple for branding and advertising and marketing to really feel “outdated”, shedding their resonance with customers.

“After ten years, a rebranding is important to provide new vitality to a model, with out basically altering the corporate’s tradition,” says Charly Meerbergen, the co-founder of Belga & Co. The roaster lately rebranded after celebrating its tenth anniversary, which included updates to its packaging and opening a brand new café.

“Model identification is what you might want to replicate your organization’s DNA and current your merchandise, nevertheless it additionally distinguishes you from opponents,” he provides. “For us particularly, nevertheless, it’s greater than that – it’s a promise to remodel via the fixed high quality of merchandise, employees coaching, and buyer expertise.

“To attain this aim, we’re consistently questioning ourselves and attempting to enhance our firm’s tradition via coaching and training.”

Why rebranding requires a holistic method

Most companies refresh their branding as soon as each seven to 10 years; nevertheless, given the relative youth of specialty espresso, roasters are inclined to rebrand at a better price.

Over the past decade, many distinguished small and huge roasters have up to date their logos, packaging, and model messaging to stay related in a quickly evolving trade.

With this shift in technique, there’s then a rising stress for roasters to observe within the footsteps of their opponents. Rebranding and model refreshes are investments, however altering visible components of a enterprise is usually more cost effective than product innovation or persevering with to supply higher-priced coffees.

“In my view, a rebrand goes past aesthetics and a brand new emblem; it’s about creating new experiences inside the firm,” says Roman Melnyk, a roaster at Belga & Co. “Firm tradition and employees attitudes are central to this transformation. Constructive and dependable employees naturally fosters stronger relationships with purchasers.”

A model refresh is a big enterprise for any espresso firm and requires efficient communication and teamwork. When workers perceive the motive and rationale behind the method, it’s more likely to resonate extra with clients.

“Ten years in the past, we began this journey with the philosophy that we are able to solely achieve this many issues ourselves and that we want motivated employees to assist us develop,” Loïc says. “Our employees are the center of our firm, and we recognise and prioritise their involvement all through the model refresh course of.

“We’re additionally striving to keep up a powerful office tradition that displays our values, via coaching programmes and team-building actions. The rebranding can be a option to encourage our employees and provides them a way of delight in working with us,” he provides. “After they help the rebranding, they turn into model ambassadors, contributing to a powerful reference to our clients.”

Constructing a basis for steady innovation

A extremely risky espresso market is pushing extra roasters to rebrand, which may add extra stress on operations and create a way of trepidation. Roasters might then rush the method, focusing totally on short-term modifications, however slicing corners on high quality and worth proposition gained’t end in success.

As an alternative, there must be an emphasis on the core values of the enterprise.

“Belga & Co. has at all times been, at the start, about offering the very best espresso for our clients,” says Krista Stellavato, a enterprise advisor at Belga & Co., who additionally was once a daily buyer. “This dedication to high quality espresso means relentlessly in search of to enhance and optimise procurement, roasting and repair; nevertheless, that is typically invisible to the client. 

“A rebrand is a chance to rejoice all the trouble, at each stage of the manufacturing course of,” she provides. “It sends a transparent sign to clients that your organization has developed in a dynamic market, that it strives to constantly adapt to serve its clients’ altering wants, whereas remaining true to the corporate’s DNA of a dedication to high quality espresso.”

From right here, roasters have the chance to be actually artistic and modern, updating and refreshing totally different components of their enterprise.

“At first of the method, we contacted a graphic design studio to assist us create new packaging,” Charly says. “We then rapidly determined it made sense to undertake a complete rebranding, as, after ten years, we’re at a key second of progress as an organization.

“A whole rebranding helps us replicate that Belga & Co. isn’t only a espresso model, however that we additionally concentrate on individuals, planet, and product,” he provides. “We will solely obtain this as a group, the place each particular person has their place within the course of.”

Consistency is vital

To attain its goal, a model refresh should resonate with clients, whether or not they’re new or long-term. Which means an organization’s web site, social media, and different communication platforms – together with its presence at occasions – should current a transparent, constant message that’s simply understood.

“For our present clients, the refresh shouldn’t really feel like an entire departure from the beginning, however fairly a pure evolution,” Loïc says. “It ought to create enthusiasm and reinforce their loyalty to the model, displaying that we proceed to develop whereas staying true to our origins.  

“With new clients, it offers us a possibility to make a powerful first impression in an ever-evolving market with rising competitors,” he provides. “All through the model refresh, we are able to inform a narrative, current a visually interesting new identification, and talk in a transparent manner that resonates with new audiences.”

Refreshing model identification is important when striving to remain related in right now’s aggressive market, nevertheless it’s about greater than visible storytelling.

The collaborative vitality wanted for a profitable rebranding course of stems instantly from all employees, who embody the brand new, modern mindset of the corporate. From right here, roasters have the leveraging energy for continued progress.

“Our rebrand offers us with the toolkit to remain forward of shopper expectations and traits,” Loïc concludes. “It helps us stay related in right now’s espresso panorama, the place customers choose genuine manufacturers with efficient communication and clear firm values.”

Loved this? Then learn our article on whether or not specialty espresso manufacturers have gotten increasingly comparable.

Picture credit: Belga & Co.

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