Will Broke Americans Turn To Cheap Coffee?
Could the current US economic meltdown destroy expensive coffee shops, as penniless consumers abandon Starbucks in order to huddle in unheated apartments brewing cheap coffee filtered through a sock? Folgers sure hopes so! The middlebrow coffee roaster is about to debut a big new ad campaign, hoping that now that your retirement fund has evaporated, you'll be interested in a lower-cost coffee experience. And hold onto your threadbare hats, newly poor caffeine addicts: Folgers has just made the "biggest innovation since the launch of decaf":
Each bean is fully dried before roasting, ensuring a more evenly cooked bean, which makes it less bitter.
That's right, you've finally lived to see the historic day when Folgers sells coffee grounds that are the product of a slightly upgraded pre-roast drying process! The future is now. Also notable: Folgers' ad agency says this campaign is "the largest marketing investment in the history of Folgers." So how big is it?
[It] is expected to be in the low six figures.
Starbucks spends that much every day on nutmeg, dude. America's not dead yet. [NYT]