Big Island Coffee Roasters
Associated with Shidler College of Business Graduate International Marketing Management Class
Company Background:
Big Island Coffee Roasters is an artisanal coffee farm, mill, and roastery that was founded in 2010 in Puna, HawaiÊ»i. Husband and wife team Kelleigh Steward and Brandon Damitz’s mission is to bring authentic Hawaiian coffee from diverse regions of the state to coffee lovers.
Big Island Coffee Roasters sources local specialty Hawaiian coffee from small growers, and then they mill and roast it in-house in small batches to order. This process allows them to deliver a more nuanced, lively flavor to their products. Besides bringing artisanal coffee to market from underrepresented regions around the state, they have also developed a unique coffee bar called Espresso Bites. These creamy bars can be eaten in bar form or mixed with hot water to make a cup of coffee. Their current markets include Hawai’i, the continental U.S., Guam, Canada, and Japan. Their biggest international market is Canada, followed by Japan.
Personal Experience
The project for Big Island Coffee Roasters was an exciting experience. I am particularly interested in global marketing and wish to work for a global company, hence I was very interested in this project.
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Conducting research and crafting the international marketing strategy was a learning experience. It was the first project that in which I helped craft two types of strategies for two different countries. The time and effort that my team put into this project was showcased in our presentation. We highlighted several possible platforms that the company could utilize and refer to, should they execute our recommendations.
Project Overview
In recent years, the company has experienced immense growth, leading them to make plans to expand their business internationally. However, COVID-19 caused them to pivot their international goals and funds to sustain their domestic business.
In consulting with one of the owners, our team learned that Canada and Japan are their biggest international customers. Using this information, our team conducted market research regarding the coffee industry in both countries to propose online and offline marketing strategies that the company could potentially use. Our recommendations showed insight into the countries traditional advertising and marketing preferences as well as possible local distributors.
Skills: Marketing Research, PESTLE Analysis, Client Communication, Recommendation Proposal