Many boutique and mid-size coffee producers and retailers have a unique story to tell but little way of getting potential consumers to connect with their product through their coffee brand marketing.  Your brand might have a long, interesting history, it might improve the livelihood of coffee-farming communities, or perhaps, is focused on sustainability efforts: All these vital and potentially unique selling points relevant to your coffee brand reputation or coffee shop story can be lost in the fog of the retail shelf, or on a crowded menu.  

Coffee packaging has limited room to include all this information, so your unique brand may end up blending in with others. Maybe your coffee brand already has a Quick Response or QR Code printed on its packaging leading to some static ingredient or promotional information but does not then take full advantage of the power to enhance coffee brand loyalty or stand out from the competition.  Many boutique coffee brands may still be at the stage of still trying to get consumers to even try their brand of coffee, especially if its bean quality, sustainability or fairtrade origin push prices above others.   ‍

Coffee drinkers want insightful QRs

Many also may not know that including a QR-code on their packaging, not only for digital payment but to display meaningful content, can attract more consumers to their brand. According to data, a third of US consumers scanned a QR code in the last week, while almost an additional third have done so in the last month.

However, a QR code is only valuable if the content behind it is engaging or useful to the consumer or, as analysis consistently finds, the consumer will simply switch off. Major criticisms include limited, unengaging or irrelevant content or the obligation to download an app. Many small to mid-size brands simply don’t have the time to create and manage product content despite it being shown to be vitally important to consumers.‍

QRs boosts brand value with consumers

 Recent research found that

• Roughly three-quarters of US consumers surveyed say that a brand’s transparency of information is important or very important to them, with about five in every six of those citing traceability as paramount.
• More than half of consumers want to feel more connected to a product by knowing its brand story. 

This analysis holds true not only for coffee sold in supermarkets and other stores but also to coffee shops. Here, opportunities for brand loyalty that can be communicated via a QR code are often lost on the consumer who, after payment, may not see any value in scanning a code.

A product like coffee has multiple varieties, different strengths, flavors and pricing. It also has varying levels of sustainability in its cultivation and farming methods, from traditional smallholders to large plantations. All these differentiators make coffee ideal for QR code insights.     

Show the increased value of your coffee 

Just some of the elements that should be communicated to consumers to make your brand unique and enhance your coffee brand reputation are:

• Provenance and traceability information, on geographical origin of the product and transportation.
• Any sustainability data on the sourcing of the beans, their cultivation method and use of chemicals, processing and transportation of the coffee, including if produced organically or by a fairtrade association.   
• What makes your brand unique, whether it’s its history, people or the variety of beans. Perhaps your coffee brand has brightened the future of some of the world’s most vulnerable people and given them a life of hope.

All these elements are impossible to communicate on a packet of coffee or a cup, however, by including a QR, you open a world of coffee brand marketing possibilities. For example, a QR can show how a farmer and their family’s lives have improved by working for your brand via a video, cementing your consumers empathy and loyalty. Other first-time consumers who care about their environment may choose to stick with your brand for good if they can see and hear about your efforts to use less water and avoid harmful pesticides and fertilizers. But, from the packaging alone, it will be difficult to prove your credentials.   

A world of coffee brand marketing possibilities

Blue Bite has been one of the pioneers in the smart products space for more than 15 years. We have been working with boutiques and major companies from fashion to wine and spirits to create unique digital experiences that engage their users and boost brand satisfaction. Unlike a static landing page, our Smart Products Platform allows brands to share brand information with consumers where and when you want, turning static labels into interactive experiences with a simple scan.

Tell the story of your unique coffee business in as much space and with as much detail as you want, giving more value and potential buyer loyalty to your consumers and improving your coffee brand reputation. You can even tailor the information received by consumers and further develop relationships with them with Blue Bite’s easy-to-use Experience Studio, according to your consumers’ interests. If you have not started using dynamic QR codes on your coffee packaging, then you should consider doing so before your brand loses out to your competitor.