A number of elements that appear on your coffee bag may be the key to capturing a consumer’s attention.
It could be the shape, design, or the colour palette. More often than not, it may be the name of your coffee.
How you name a coffee can have a significant impact on a consumer’s decision to buy. After all, coffee is a food item, and most consumers will choose a product that appeals to their taste buds the most.
For many roasters, it can be difficult to decide whether to experiment with coffee varieties that excite them or simply roast for local preference. That said, they may be able to do both – if they name their coffees in a way that piques customers’ curiosity.
To learn more about what to consider when naming your coffee, I spoke with the founder and CEO of Couplet Coffee, Gefen Skolnick.
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Why do roasters name their coffees?
Many roasters choose to give their coffees unique names in order to set themselves apart within the specialty industry.
It is important to remember that how you name your coffee can impact a consumer’s perception of your brand. Additionally, the name should be a reflection of what is inside the bag.
Coffee is quite a unique beverage regarding the variety available. Much like wine, many consumers are looking for a specific experience.
For instance, they may be looking for a comforting cup with chocolate notes, or a bright fruity brew that excites them.
“Roasters name their coffees for multiple reasons,” says Gefen, who has worked at a number of tech companies such as Tesla and Hulu. “Sometimes, they want to illuminate the story of the tasting notes in creative ways. Other times, they simply want to tell customers what feelings the beans may invoke.”
She explains that at Couplet Coffee they keep it simple and inform customers about tasting notes through a 2-line poem: a couplet.
“The ‘couplet’ tells customers more about what they will experience while drinking our coffee,” Gefen says.
Some of the names used at Couple Coffee include Single Origin Peaceful Peru, Coffee For Everyone Espresso Blend, and The Blissful Blend.
Each name reflects an integral part of the brand’s identity, as the company’s mission is to “make specialty coffee more fun and approachable” and “skip the pretentious tasting notes to get right to the good part.”
What are the most common themes for specialty coffee names?
When naming coffee, many roasters decide to stick to themes that are already common within the industry.
One such theme is seasonality and holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. International coffee giant Starbucks has long been a trendsetter for naming their coffees after seasons.
This has led to many other coffee brands adopting a similar approach because of its success.
Starbucks’ iconic Christmas Blend in its signature red bag stands out, and has become a standard offering over the festive season.
A common theme when naming coffee blends is using the names of well-known desserts or sweet treats.
These often weave in tasting notes that customers may find in the coffee to make it more approachable and familiar.
For example, Tribe Coffee in South Africa has a popular Chocolate Block blend, while Square Mile Coffee has its signature Sweetshop blend.
A dominant theme common among third-wave coffee brands is naming products after the farmer. This resonates with the specialty coffee sector’s greater mission to promote transparency and a sustainable, fair trade industry.
Additionally, this puts producers in the spotlight, helping to bring attention to the wages and living conditions within various origin countries.
Origin Coffee Roasting in South Africa often names its coffee after producers and shares the story behind it with their customers.
Whatever approach coffee brands choose to name their coffees, the goal is the same: to tell a story and evoke specific emotions within the customer.
Essentially, the feeling you want to stir in customers would be more effective if it is aligned with your brand identity and the product itself.
What to consider when naming coffee
Choosing an appropriate name for your coffee can help boost sales and brand recognition.
Regardless of whether you choose to name coffee after desserts, seasons, or holidays, there are a few things to consider before committing the name to print.
Remain consistent
Your brand identity should be consistent across all your products and marketing material. It is a key part of sharing your company ethos, vision, and mission, whether it is centred around a topic, such as puddings or desserts, or your brand itself.
Consistent branding and coffee packaging helps create familiarity among consumers, which increases the chance of repeat sales.
Tell the story that is important to you
If promoting transparency and sustainable sourced coffee is a core part of your business, the name of the coffee should reflect that.
The name is an effective way to pique the curiosity of a customer, and may prompt them to ask about the story behind their favourite coffee.
Alternatively, you can choose to custom-print coffee bags that convey a short story of the producer. This can make your coffee bags more engaging, and help make customers aware of a coffee’s journey from seed to cup.
At MTPak Coffee, we offer a range of 100% recyclable coffee packaging options that can be customised to reflect the unique name of your coffees.
Roasters can choose from renewable materials such as kraft paper, rice paper, or multilayer LDPE packaging with an environmentally friendly PLA lining, all of which minimise waste and contribute to a circular economy.
More so, we give our roasters complete control over the design process by allowing them to build their own coffee bags.
Our design team is available to help you create the ideal coffee packaging.
Plus, we are able to custom-print coffee bags using innovative digitally printing technology, with a quick turnaround time of 40-hours and 24-hour shipping time.
MTPak Coffee also offers low minimum order quantities (MOQs) to micro-roasters who are looking to remain agile while showcasing brand identity and a commitment to the environment.
