Caffeine magazine, a popular read with its finger on the pulse for London’s coffee scene.

Top ideas organised against innovation platforms.

Costa Coffee had delivered extraordinary same store sales growth throughout its history. But the coffee category was becoming more competitive across the globe – with an emerging craft coffee culture, and value coffee players also going after coffee share more aggressively.

Against this backdrop, we were asked to work cross-functionally to deliver an innovation strategy, and then run a bespoke ideation process to fill a longer term pipeline.

We first focussed on creating an innovation strategy anchored in commercial analytics and consumer insight. Through a series of workshops we were able to gain alignment on an innovation approach with key stakeholders.

With the strategy in hand we recruited a custom team of coffee experts to consider solutions against key platform opportunities. This culminated in a creative workshop to visualise and prioritise key ideas.

Yes! Top ideas were discussed and prioritised in a session with the senior team. Some are in stores now – go visit a Costa shop this summer to taste some of the new offer. And keep an eye out for some new drinks soon.

“Really good to see an initial piece of research translated into something tangible, and ideas generated which are now forming actual products. The preparation was fantastic as well as the pre work that went into it.”

Emma Whale, Senior Insight Manager