How the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf reimagines its 60-year old brand for the modern market
Innovation keeps the brand relevant in a competitive industry.
Connecting with modern consumers means a brand needs to evolve to stay relevant, especially in a competitive market such as the coffee and tea market, and how The Coffee Bean & Tea Leafe does this is by looking both to the past and the future to maintain brand relevance.
“The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was founded over 60 years ago by Herbert Hyman, who had a passion for sourcing the finest coffees and teas,” Anshul Laroia, Chief CPG Growth Officer at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf said in an interview with Retail Asia. This tradition of innovation and quality has continued, with the brand pioneering products like ice-blended coffee and cold brew decades before they became mainstream.
Today’s consumer trends show a duality in the market, according to Laroia. “On one side, we have the premium experience seeker, willing to spend thousands on the best home coffee equipment. On the other hand, there’s a growing demand for convenience and speed, especially post-pandemic,” he explained.
To cater to these diverse needs, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf plans to launch a range of high-quality, easy-to-prepare coffee and tea products. The packaging of these products is designed to be distinctive and simple to use, without sacrificing the brand’s hallmark quality.
Laroia shared insights into the process behind their new espresso capsules, which replicate the complex flavours traditionally found in their cafes. “Every single year, the company focuses strongly on quality. Our espresso has always had beans sourced from five different countries, each roasted separately to create a complex flavour profile,” he noted.
Addressing the competitive landscape, Laroia acknowledged the challenges of entering a crowded market. “We are a little late in the at-home coffee market, but we start with packaging and then our communication to stand out from the crowd,” he stated. The goal is to break category codes with innovative packaging that appeals directly to consumer sensibilities.
As for growth strategies, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is selective about which markets and categories it enters, focusing on partnerships that share the company’s values, ambition, and attention to detail. “We look at geographies where we want to scale up, being mindful of the partners we choose,” Laroia added, highlighting the importance of alignment in values and design flair amongst partners.
