Seattle’s Best Coffee Level System sees double digit sales growth in less than a year

Less than one year after launch, Seattle’s Best Coffee reported on 10 August that its ‘Level System’ packaged coffee line achieved double digit sales growth. The product is now outpacing the premium coffee category, and was recently recognised as one of the top products of the year by Progressive Grocer magazine. Seattle’s Best Coffee launched the Level System in January with a stated mission of bringing simplicity to premium coffee. The Level System uses numbers and bold colors to show the roast of each blend – and to expand the Seattle’s Best Coffee offering to include lighter blends that appeal to mainstream coffee consumers. “As we enter the heaviest coffee-buying season of the year, we are expecting to see continued enthusiasm from consumers for our Level System,” says Jeff Hansberry, president, Seattle’s Best Coffee. “When we introduced Levels, our goal was to fill a gap in the packaged coffee aisle with an approachable premium coffee. Initial research indicates that our strategy is resonating with consumers – approximately 30 per cent of all Levels purchasers are new to the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand.” Early research shows that the new Level System is winning over a new, younger consumer. Additionally, the lighter blends that Seattle’s Best Coffee created to meet the tastes of consumers who are new to premium coffee, Levels 1 and 2, are proving their appeal – sales of Levels 1 and 2 account for 16 per cent of all Levels’ sales. To engage consumers in a dialogue about the brand, Seattle’s Best Coffee deployed a social media strategy. Seattle’s Best Coffee launched the Level System with an announcement on Facebook. Since then, the brand has used its growing Facebook community to get the Level System into tens of thousands of consumers’ hands. The brand, which began with around 20,000 Facebook fans when Levels launched, rapidly expanded to attract more than 225,000 fans. Seattle’s Best Coffee has been roasting premium coffee since 1970 and today roasts more than 20 million pounds of coffee every year and millions of cups of our coffee are served every day. Seattle’s Best Coffee is a featured brand within the Starbucks Corporation and was ranked among the 10 best franchise opportunities by QSR Magazine (January 2010).