‘We have focused on quality, innovation and export development,’ says Sylwia Mokrysz, proxy and member of the management board of Mokate, which is celebrating its 35^th anniversary this year.

By: Piotr Chrobok

This year, Mokate is celebrating its 35^th anniversary. It’s an impressive milestone of the brand which has become one of the leaders in the coffee and tea market. Such success takes years to achieve. What do you think the strength and secret behind Mokate’s development is?

Sylwia Mokrysz: Mokate’s success is the result of many factors: hard work, consistency and the values that have formed the foundation of the company since its inception. As a family business, we think long-term, build lasting relationships and treat the company as more than just a business. For years, we have focused on quality, innovation and export development. However, the key factor has been our ability to adapt to changing market realities while maintaining our identity. I believe that combining tradition with modernity and acting with authenticity is the source of our strength.

In the 1990s, Mokate’s advertisement explaining what a cappuccino is was a marketing and business breakthrough. In one of your interviews, you said that ‘this advertisement changed everything’. Could you tell us what exactly happened then and what impact the campaign had on the company’s development?

Sylwia Mokrysz: The campaign really changed the history of Mokate. We were introducing a completely new product to the Polish market: instant cappuccino. Consumers didn’t really know how to prepare it. So, we decided to create an instructional advertisement. While I was still a student, I founded the Advertising Agency “Sylwia”, where the first TV commercial, “Mokate Cappuccino – a star among coffees”, was produced. And then there were more… My goal was for each advertisement to educate, build an emotional connection with the brand, and engage the audience. As we were introducing something new, we knew that our communication had to be clear and authentic. These were pioneering activities on the Polish advertising market – consumers still remember the ad and can hum the tune from years ago… I fondly remember that time, and I am glad that the campaign marked a turning point in Mokate’s development. Thanks to this, I believe that Mokate Cappuccino quickly found its way into the hearts of Poles and became a cult brand.

Mokate has recently added new products to its range

In 2002, Mokate acquired the company ‘Consumer’, thus starting its business in the tea market. You were responsible for developing this sector. What was that journey like?

Sylwia Mokrysz: I must admit that I had a lot of concerns at first. Tea is a completely different category to coffee – it’s a different product, a different consumer and a different operating philosophy. We didn’t know this market well, but we didn’t have time to dwell on that. We had to efficiently add tea products to the Mokate range and give them a consistent and attractive image. I was entrusted with supervising the new department. I decided to learn from the best, so I completed a training programme at the Thompson Lloyd & Ewart tea house in London. There, I met true enthusiasts who infected me with their passion and eagerness to explore new opportunities. This enthusiasm quickly spread to the team I was building. The first challenge was the LOYD brand – premium teas created for connoisseurs, distinguished by their quality, elegance and unique aroma. When promoting the brand, we supported culture in the broadest sense, from local events and film premieres to theatre and Metropolitan Opera performances in New York, which were broadcast in Poland. In 2011, Justyna Steczkowska became the LOYD ambassador. Together, we created the “Tea with a touch of magic” advert – a spot full of poetics and symbolism that I still consider to be ground-breaking, and almost as important as the first Mokate cappuccino campaign. Another interesting project involved product placement for the “Minutka” brand in the TV series “Ranczo” (The Ranch). This natural and unobtrusive form of promotion has become firmly embedded itself in viewers’ consciousness and continues to deliver results to this day.

In addition to her work at Mokate, Sylwia Mokrysz founded the Coffee & Tea Market Research Institute

Building a company is not just about marketing; it’s also about family values. Would you say that the family spirit is one of the pillars of Mokate’s success?

Sylwia Mokrysz: Definitely. Family spirit is not just a way of organising things, but above all a philosophy of doing business. At Mokate, we make decisions with a view to sustainability and responsibility, not just current results. Every decision is part of a larger personal and business narrative. We feel responsible for previous generations and want to leave something valuable for future ones. This perspective provides us with a solid foundation and motivation to grow while respecting people and the environment. Family is our strength and our greatest asset.

In the 1990s, instant products were a great success. One can say that Mokate was ahead of its time. But what now?

Sylwia Mokrysz: Further development and new challenges. We’ve just completed a comprehensive modernisation of our production plant in Ustroń. We are investing in increasing production capacity, automating processes, developing environmentally friendly packaging and using renewable energy sources. This is not only a business necessity, but also an expression of our responsibility towards the environment and future generations. In terms of innovation, I established the Coffee & Tea Market Research Institute last year, with bases in Ustroń and London. There, we conduct scientific research into consumer behaviour in the food and beverage market, with a particular focus on coffee and tea. We develop new products and organise training courses, conferences and industry meetings. The summary of these activities is in the “Coffee & Tea Marketing Journal”, a scientific journal that we publish and which enables us to reach an even wider audience. The Institute is the realisation of my passion for coffee and tea. However, I’m still hungry for more innovation. I hope that we will continue to surprise our customers positively with new products and set new trends in the market.