Brand Storytelling | Brand Strategy and Influencer Partnerships
Café Bustelo Pop-up Tour
THE SITUATION
As part of Latin culture since 1928, Café Bustelo is famous for its authentic Latin espresso-style coffee. Now owned by Smucker’s, the brand needs to build beyond its Latin roots by inspiring target consumers to engage and celebrate the excitement of “authentica sabor latino.”
The Challenge
How do we re-introduce Café Bustelo and motivate consumers to purchase for home consumption while driving awareness and trial of Café Bustelo in growth markets (Houston, Philadelphia)?
Mindset modeling revealed that our target of Culturally Hispanic Millennials strive to connect within their community and have a driving passion for their food culture. Presenting Café Bustelo as an authentic cultural icon within the community had the potential to solidify a deep affinity towards the Brand.
77% of Millennials are “culturally open” and this group over-indexes for their coffee consumption. Culturally open millennials are also known to be community-minded, love to be around people, bring others together, and seek new experiences.
The Inspirational Insight
Re-connecting Café Bustelo with the Latino community (who know of its 90+ year heritage) will provide the catalyst to welcome and inspire a new generation of brand advocates and culturally open millennials.
The Concept
We brought the Café Bustelo Latin experience to life in the local communities of Houston and Philadelphia as a pop-up full-service retail Café (3 months per market). Our Inspira Brand Ambassador Team sold Latin-inspired coffee beverages (Cafecito, Café Con Leche, Café Americano, Café Chocolate), traditional Latin snacks, and desserts (empanadas, pastelitos, tres leches, and flan). The Café presented Latin entertainment, showcased local art, and provided a venue for community events.
We programmed the Café’s POS system and on-site tablets to survey consumers, capturing key KPIs. We also crafted an influencer strategy and campaign to drive media coverage and national awareness.
