Our work for Bewley's

Caffé la Scala branding

01 October 2002

Branding is fundamental to coffee marketing. Only through branding can suppliers retain regular users long-term, attempt penetration of fresh markets and users, launch new products and promote coffee drinking as a lifestyle pleasure.

Background
Campbell Bewley Group are Ireland's largest caterers, retailers of hot beverages, bakery and confectionery and operators of cafés and hotels, trading mainly under the Bewley's brand. In 1997 the coffee market was changing. Starbucks was growing rapidly in the US and consumer interest in quality coffee and new varieties was developing in Ireland. Bewley's identified the need for a new brand to:

1. Project a modern, contemporary, continental image appropriate to new coffee products: Espresso, Latte, Cappuccino, etc. Setting these apart from the established, traditional profile associated with the Bewley's brand.
2. Enable Bewley's to compete in the wholesale/catering outlet coffee market against new market entries which were then capitalising on the trend for speciality coffees in Ireland.

We were engaged to develop the brand strategy, generate a new name and design and implement a brand identity for launch as a continental-style Irish coffee brand.

Brand strategy
Qualitative research helped to define the characteristics and coffee/hot beverage preferences of the target market. The vision, values, market proposition and core messages for the new brand were developed and a detailed brand strategy was set out in agreement with our client.

Naming
A full naming process including brainstorming, short listing, analysis and availability searching led to the eventual selection of the name Caffé la Scala.

Design and implementation
A Caffé la Scala brandmark and supporting colour palette and design style was developed to represent the desired Italian/European style. The coffee varieties, which were at that time relatively new to Ireland, also had the necessary mystique to differentiate the new brand from those already on the Irish market.
Packaging was designed to fit the image, using qualities which define espresso - dark, aromatic, Italian, strong, rich. The result is a dark brown, smoky effect background with, superimposed upon it, a painting of a cup of steaming espresso in rich blues and bronze mosaic. The brand identity and packaging are hand-scripted in bronze to personalise the product and to prevent dating. The identity is flexible enough to be used successfully on other branded items and has been applied to a wide range of support material, cups, saucers, sugar tubes and coffee machines.

Evaluation
Caffé la Scala was launched in 1998 and proved to be an immediate success. Initial annual sales figures were recorded at well over double the original targets with new accounts being opened that would not have been possible under the traditional Bewley's brand. This positive trend has continued as the brand has matured. The brand was rapidly accepted as a contemporary alternative to Bewley's and made rapid inroads in the catering, forecourt, pub, restaurant and coffee house markets. Caffé la Scala is now regarded by Bewley's as a core brand portfolio element and is fundamental to their coffee marketing strategy.