66% drink coffee, 40% know it helps, 27% drink it on daily basis..."sigh" -what does all this numbers mean?

by Chee Leng
(Singapore)

In a recent survey (yes, another one) done by Mintel, it is reported that 66% of Americans drink a cup of coffee everyday.

Now, that is good business right? But, it also highlight that the majority tend to be the older demographic aged 45 and above.

They are the main bulk of the market currently. But to grow the market, the coffee business would need younger drinkers.

Now, younger drinker from age 18 to 24 knows that coffee improves their concentration, about 40% are aware of this fact.

But, when it comes to drinking them on a regular basis, only 27% does it on a daily basis.

The main competitor seems to be the energy drink, younger folks would go to them to stay alert and boost their energy.

So, coffee companies need to boost their marketing to grow the number of younger coffee drinkers. If this is not done well, longer term growth could be affected and eroded by other products.

Another barrier is the choice of their consumption. It seems that most consumption take place in cafe where young folks hang out.

To effectively capture this segment, coffee company might need to come out with a drink that is similar in positioning to the "cool factor" that cafe and coffee shops are having.

Source: Mintel