Date of Publication

4-30-2020

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Marketing Communications

Subject Categories

Marketing

College

Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business

Department/Unit

Marketing and Advertising

Thesis Adviser

Noel Saijd Murad

Abstract/Summary

The Philippines is no doubt a coffee-loving country. It’s in our roots. We are lucky to be situated in what is called the “coffee belt,” the equatorial zone which is home to favorable climatic conditions to grow all 4 varieties of coffee, namely Robusta, Arabica, Excelsa, and Liberica. In fact back in the late 1800s, the Philippines was the fourth largest exporter of coffee beans in the world.

Cut to the present, the Philippine coffee industry is currently having a few problems in terms of production supply, hectarage and recent devastation from natural disasters, but demand-wise, the industry is booming, thanks to the Millennials and their increasing taste sophistication and interest with specialty coffee. But since our coffee production cannot keep up with our coffee consumption, unfortunately we have to resort to importing coffee. The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI), a private sector-led organization, aims to change that with Kape Isla.

Kape Isla is PCBI’s unifying seal for all the coffee from the different parts of the Philippines, and is the first and only one of its kind. Apart from being a seal of local origin, it is also a mark of high-quality and excellent coffee. Members of the coffee value chain (from the farmers to the roasters to the coffee shop owners) who apply for the seal and pass the quality test can actually demand for better prices for their products. For the coffee-loving consumer, supporting products and establishments with the Kape Isla seal is a guarantee that one supports Philippine coffee and its development. As of its reintroduction with a new seal in March 2018, PCBI has not yet fully exerted marketing efforts on Kape Isla, and as of the moment, only two coffee shops and a few coffee products bear the seal. Given the right timing and with Kape Isla’s credentials, the brand is now in an ideal position to formally launch the seal to the target market in focus.

Unfortunately, according to the UAI survey conducted among coffee-drinking Filipino Millennials, these consumers have little to no awareness on Kape Isla. But the good news is, once they have been acquainted about the brand, there is a high probability that they will support Kape Isla and even promote it to their peers. These millennials are socially aware and are highly willing to support brands that give back, and this is a big advantage for Kape Isla. There is just a need to put the brand out there, right in front of them.

This integrated marketing campaign aims to create consumer awareness on the Kape Isla seal, thereby increasing demand for it, and eventually convincing Philippine coffee value chain players to sign up for the seal.

The SWOT and TOWS analysis further points that it is recommended to take a digital- heavy, PR-driven and events-driven approach to create visibility and awareness for the Kape Isla seal among the Filipino millennials. The biggest challenge though is that as a non-profit, social enterprise, Kape Isla does not have the big budget for promotions. This means the creative executions need to be hardworking and that the right mix of media channels carefully selected, in order to optimally spread the Kape Isla brand and its advocacy.

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Keywords

Coffee—Grading—Marketing

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Embargo Period

8-15-2022

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