Starbucks Passion

Via Ready Brew

I’ve always considered myself a Starbucks purist. I enjoy the Starbucks experience, culture and high-end gourmet coffee products. So when I heard that Starbucks was introducing an instant coffee product last summer in Canada, I was a tad bit sceptical. How could Starbucks transfer their culture, their experience and their quality to a new instant coffee beverage? I thought instant coffee was reserved for hotel rooms and long road trips, not for Starbucks. And to say I was scared that this product would flop, hurting Starbucks’ brand image, would be an understatement.

But after 8 months of talking to Via Ready Brew customers, partners and coffee aficionados, I learned that everyone agrees that Via is a high quality product. (click here for a review from Stabucks Gossip) So after holding out for months, I finally decided to give it a try.

I bought a 3 pack of both Colombia and Italian Roast in December, brought them home and conducted my own official taste test. I tried Colombia first, it was delicious. It was smooth, nutty and left a nice after-taste. I was impressed. Then I tried Italian Roast. It was smoky, strong and left another great after-taste. Could it be? Did Starbucks just do the unimaginable?! Yes, they did. Here we have 2 ready brew products that taste just as good as any drip coffee offered at Starbucks. This is not the way instant coffee should be. Via isn’t grainy, coarse, burnt or flavourless; it’s perfect.

According to several partners in my favourite Starbucks locations, Via Ready Brew has been flying off the shelves. Currently, I buy a 10 pack of Colombia every 2 weeks; 5 days of school a week = 5 packets consumed. I’m a huge fan.

But still, with the recent success of Via, I wondered why did Starbucks venture into the instant coffee market? And after much thought, it’s now clear to me.

2 years ago, Starbucks was suffering. Stores were failing and sales were down. So Howard Schultz came out of retirement to get the company back on track. And since that time, Starbucks has moved forward. They have been introducing new products every few months and started to re-shape the coffee industry, again. Via proved to be an obvious fit.

By introducing a new instant coffee product, Starbucks has successfully strengthened their brand. Via attracts a new consumer; people on the run. Ironically, we all meet this new demographic. We all lead hectic lives and find it hard at times to get to our nearest Starbucks; Via fills this void. Now we can all enjoy a high quality product at any time, regardless of proximity to a Starbucks store.

Via would have been a flop if it had mirrored any other typical instant coffee product. But it’s anything but typical. The quality is second to none. It’s different than any other instant coffee product because it’s made from 100% ethically sourced Arabica beans, just like every other coffee Starbucks serves in their stores. And unlike typical, coarsely ground instant coffee, Via is ground to a fine powder that dissolves in hot water, cold water and milk. Latte on the fly? Yes, you can now have your latte and drink it too.

All I can say is: congrats to Starbucks for meeting consumers’ needs and still protecting their respectable brand image. Via was initially met with scepticism by Starbucks lovers everywhere, but after tasting it, the consensus is that it’s a high quality product. It adds another dimension to the Starbucks brand and with the bitter past of 2 years ago, it helps the re-strengthening process for the company we all have come to appreciate and love.