Cafédirect Single Origins – Better Coffee for Everyone.

Family (and friends) branding have continued their long-term partnership with leading ethical coffee company Cafédirect by helping to redefine their proposition and reaffirm their people-driven philosophy of producing coffee that’s ‘Better for Everyone’.

Having recently launched their new ‘Be the Change’ range of blended ground coffee, focused on making real impact on the livelihoods of their partner smallholder farmers (through initiatives tackling climate change, gender equality and youth employment), Cafédirect have continued to thrive in the category – delivering great tasting, barista quality coffee with a brand philosophy focused on supporting the growers who drive the business.

Unlike any other UK coffee company, Cafédirect invests 50% of their profits into working directly with farmers to improve sustainability and livelihoods, right across the coffee growing world.

And in 2021, F&f’s ‘radical revitalisation’ of Cafédirect won a prestigious Gold DBA (Design Business Association) award for effectiveness in brand transformation and business success as a result.

But to maintain a truly healthy brand and build brand ‘happiness’, it’s vital that brand codes and design assets are frequently revisited to maintain relevance in a constantly evolving consumer market. In this fast-moving climate, brands may not rest, as shopper attitudes constantly shift and other players compete for shelf space.

In 2022, despite retail sales of coffee falling by 3.5% YOY (as the post-lockdown shift continued to push consumers back into cafés and coffee shops), the value of the home coffee category is 7% higher than pre-covid levels*. There’s been a significant shift in the last 3 years as shoppers have become more sophisticated, with a report suggesting around 61.4% consumers are seeking ‘barista style’ quality beverages at home**.

* Kantar 52 w/e 12 June 2022, via The Grocer
** Allegra World Coffee Portal (2021) via The Grocer

Consumers are also more engaged in coffee origins and provenance, as well as pursuing more complex flavour notes and brewing styles, so brands in retail must be able to communicate these elements to capture the attention of savvy shoppers.

To this end, F&f have continued their close partnership with Cafédirect, having first collaborated almost 8 years ago, to develop a revitalised brand proposition of ‘Better Coffee for Everyone’. It brings to life their focus on directly supporting their partner smallholder farmers and co-operatives, improving the livelihoods of growers which in turn produces better-tasting coffee.

The logo has been invigorated, with bolder, more condensed typography which amplifies shelf impact and brand blocking in store. Coffee crop provenance is further brought to life with vibrant colour and traditional patterns across the whole Single Origins range.

F&f have also created a newly devised ‘Infinite Good’ icon as a short-form way to illustrate the direct connection between the benefits for both consumer and farmer. The new symbol is featured front and centre of pack with the brand’s signature bronze effect emphasising premium cues.

To further exemplify the new proposition, Cafédirect have become one of the first leading roast and ground coffee companies to implement 100% recyclable substrate across range – Demonstrating they deserve the plaudits as the first and highest scoring B-Corp coffee brand in the UK.*
* via Cafédirect (2023)

“We’re delighted to have once again partnered with F&f to revitalise the Cafédirect brand, highlighting our commitment to deliver ‘Better Coffee for Everyone’. We’re pleased with how well the new proposition was reflected on-pack and how it relates to our brand story.” Lorraine Kelleher – Marketing Controller – Cafédirect

The refreshed single origins range has rolled out into stores and is now available in major UK retailers, including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tesco and Ocado.