In keeping with the changing world of coffee, including more varied choices and evolving consumption trends, Nestle Thai Ltd, the marketer of Nescafe coffee, is offering the latest version of Nescafe Blend & Brew, the ground and roasted coffee mix, to sustain the company's coffee business growth.
The new version of Nescafe Blend & Brew aims to tap varying demand among consumers who drink coffee not only for its functional purpose, but also for enjoyment.
"The world of coffee is changing, with more diversified choices, and Thai consumer trends are evolving," said Naritta Vipulyasekha, the company's business manager for Nescafe coffee mixes. "Drinking coffee is more than just stimulation -- it's also about enjoying a pleasurable moment of irresistible aroma from good-quality coffee.
"We see an opportunity in the mainstream coffee mix market, as most products use only one type of coffee bean, mainly whole robusta. This is the first time in Thailand that we are bonding two types of finely ground roasted coffee beans together using a proprietary encapsulation technology that captures and protects the full-bodied flavour and aroma of genuine roasted coffee."
According to Ms Naritta, the new coffee mix was an initiative of Nescafe in Thailand because the coffee mix market here ranks as the world's second largest worldwide after the Philippines.
Thailand's total home coffee market is worth about 21 billion baht. Of the total, 16 billion baht is in the coffee mix segment and 5 billion is instant coffee.
Consumption of coffee at home grew by 4.8% in 2018.
Nescafe controls a roughly 52% share of the coffee mix market.
Coffee cherries on the vine in Mae Hong Son's Mae La Noi district. Nescafe is bonding two types of finely ground roasted coffee beans together using a proprietary encapsulation technology.
Ms Naritta said the company will earmark 1.2 billion baht to promote Nescafe Blend & Brew this year. Two superstars, Thanawat "Pope" Wattanaputi and Jirayu "James'' Tangsrisuk, have come aboard as brand ambassadors for Blend & Brew products.
Despite many alternatives available in the local market, coffee still has market potential because Thais consume 300 cups of coffee per year, compared with 400 cups in Japan and 600 cups in Europe, Ms Naritta said.
"Our research shows that Thai consumers prefer the new Nescafe Blend & Brew over the previous version," she said. "It's the third generation of our coffee mix product range that reflects evolving trends, with a better aroma and taste profile that fits today's consumer preferences. This is our biggest coffee mix launch in three years."
The first-generation Nescafe coffee mix, Rich Aroma 3-in-1, was introduced in 1996.
In 2016, Nescafe introduced the second-generation coffee mix, renamed Nescafe Blend & Brew, still made from 100% robusta.
The second iteration was a tremendous success, achieving market share of 52.9%. Thais consume about 1.5 billion cups of Nescafe Blend & Brew every year, according to Ms Naritta.