Global Culture

About a year ago, Coca-Cola Co. announced it would attempt to take on Starbucks by introducing new technology to deliver single servings of coffee through their own newly designed brewing machines. Last month the first Far Coast Cafe opened its doors in Toronto, Canada.

Since I don’t drink coffee, it is hard for me to judge them on the quality of their product. And as hinted by my very first post I must have some sort of obsession with coffee:

Global Culture should not be about MacDonalds and Starbucks in every little town around the world. It should be the opposite: being able to experience your own cultural heritage in the context of a foreign community. So if you come from Venezuela, where good coffee is a century-old tradition, you should be able to find the equivalent to your traditional coffee house wherever you go. If done well, becoming a global citizen should not require you to loose your cultural baggage.

If you read through the reviews, most people are drooling over how cool the Far Coast lounge is, but people like Paul Terefenko from NOW Magazine have dissected every element of their operation, from the apparent eco/social responsibility of the brand to the extensive market research that allowed them to come up with refined spaces that appeal to the knowledgeable urbanite.

However, this story is bigger for another reason: it clearly demonstrates that global corporations are doing their homework when it comes to our global culture and will stop at nothing to capitalize on it:

• From the press release announcing the brand in Toronto: “Consumers are looking for quality and variety and are increasingly curious about the world around them. Far Coast was created to provide them with a window into different cultures through our range of delicious brews and infusions.”
• Toronto is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, making it an ideal launching pad for such a brand.
• There is a growing concern among knowledgeable consumers about corporate responsibility. Claiming fair trade practices that are difficult to audit but easy to use as marketing slogans, their brand is quickly catching up with a powerful meme that has been engrained into the minds of wealthy consumers with a better understanding of how the world works.
• In the age of global warming and other eco-disasters, any hint of helping the environment will likely have a powerful effect on our acceptance of the brand.
• By creating a fully mobile product that doesn’t even require the store (the technology is what they are really marketing), they demonstrate how deeply they understand the culture of fast food in our cities. It is early to bet on this, but they may change the way people get their coffees, making the barista obsolete, but replacing him with a zillion culturally-influenced flavours.
• Most importantly, by creating a brand that detaches itself from its parent corporation, they acknowledge that the savvy consumer would rather start fresh with an unknown brand full of promises than do business with an old brand that is well known for its irresponsible behavior.

Isn’t time that people realize the incredible power of their global culture? Corporations are clearly investing big bucks on understanding it. One thing I’m certain about is that Toronto is one of the best places to create awareness on this matter, as determined by Coca-Cola powerful market research engine.