For years coffee has been one of the most advertised FMCG products. In the 1990s it built its image thanks to well-known TV campaigns and billboards. Today, the communication looks completely different: instead of classic commercial spots, it appears more and more often in social media in the natural surroundings of daily rituals.

The change is not only about fashion, but mostly results from the growing need for authenticity in consumer-brand relations. A perfect example of this is the  campaign by GBS Coffee.

From commercial spot to instastory

A modern consumer, particularly a young one, does not trust commercials in their traditional form anymore. Instead, they value the opinions of people they follow online. The influencers have become today’s “brand story tellers.” GBS Coffee makes an excellent use of this trend. Instead of investing solely in traditional media, the brand decided to use the influencer marketing, not as a one-time campaign, but as a well-thought-out, consistent strategy.

Authenticity as a foundation

The key assumption of the campaign was to select creators who authentically match the world of the brand. It was not about millions of followers, but about a natural match: people who actually drink coffee and are able to show it as an element of their daily life. The influencers presented GBS Coffee in simple, everyday situations: during their morning routine, remote work, study or meetings with friends. In this way coffee was not “a product for sale” but a daily companion, a symbol of momentary rest and energy.

Why does it work?

Consumer psychology shows that authenticity builds trust, and trust affects shopping decisions. That is why the influencers that create honest contents relatable to the viewers offer a more effective channel of communication than even the best produced TV spot. An additional benefit for GBS Coffee was the skillful combination of lifestyle contents with the brand values of simplicity, availability and accompanying the consumer in their daily life.

Results and conclusions

The campaign increased the recognisability of GBS Coffee and improved the brand’s perception as “close and modern.” Consumer involvement also rose – the coffee was photographed more frequently,  appeared in the spontaneous contents of users, and the number of organic mentions in social media also rose. This shows that the influencer marketing not only increases brand awareness, but also builds a community around it.

Lesson for the whole industry

The GBS Coffee’s example confirms that, despite being based on tradition, the coffee market works well in the new media. Consumers expect that a brand does not look down on them, but it becomes a part of their world. This exactly is best shown by the influencers. The conclusions from this case study are universal: in an age overloaded with advertising content, those who can combine authentic messaging with a consistent strategy come out on top.

The text is based on the study by dr Filip Szymczak on “Influencer marketing in building coffee communication: a case study of GBS Coffee.” The study was published in London in The Coffee & Tea Marketing Journal in English. It is published by the Coffee and Tea Research Institute based in Ustroń and headed by dr Sylwia Mokrysz, PhD, a proxy for Mokate SA. The Institute specialises in the analysis of consumer trends, research on coffee and tea market and the creation of new tools of communication for brands from this category.