Coca-Cola Expands Portfolio In Brazil With The Launch Of Cafe Leão

Cafe Leão - which translates to lion - will initially go on sale in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Curitiba next month and be rolled out to other points of sale across the country from early 2017.

With its distinctive taste, aroma and the purity of grain, Cafe Leão is made with 100 percent Arabica beans which have been grown and packed in Brazil.

 

The objective is to expand consumer access to the category of speciality coffees as Cafe Leão marks the entry of Coca-Cola Brazil in the coffee segment. In addition, the launch represents further diversification for Coca-Cola Brazil.

 

The product will be sold in two roasts: dark, with full-bodied and intense aromas and flavor and with a balanced flavor, aroma and sweetness.

 

Cafe Lion represents the company’s first foray into coffee consumption at home and taps into the growing trend of the at-home coffee making ritual and expands the brand’s portfolio which has more than a century of tradition in the tea segment in Brazil.

 

Producing the coffee involves a network of small and medium-sized farmers and will boost the country’s economy with the focus being on a home-grown product and domestic sales.

 

“Brazilian coffee is recognized as one of the best in the world. However, combinations of Arabica beans, our best and most prized species of coffee, hardly reach the home of Brazilians because they are largely directed to the foreign market,” says vice president of Business Coca-Cola Brazil, Sandor Hagen.

 

“Leo wants to bring to Brazil the best coffee that is produced here.”

 

Brazil is the largest produced and exporter of coffee in the world, according to the Brazilian Coffee Industry Association (ABIC), and the segment of thin and differentiated coffee grows at around 15 to 20 percent per year.

 

“As we enter this market, we stimulate the debate on coffee for export. The Lion wants to expand the high-quality coffee available in the market, increasing the Brazilian consumers access to this type of product, so that this segment can develop and help grow the category in Brazil,” adds Hagen.

 

Following on from the initial August launch, the coffee will also be sold through e-commerce channels from September.
The product is available in four packages: 500g in medium roast beans, 500g in roasting dark grains (suggested price of US$25 each), ground 250g medium roast and ground 250g of dark toast (suggested price of US$9.50 each).

 

Coca-Cola Brazil says it’s constantly innovating so consumers have more choices of drinks to complement their lifestyles and offer options for different times of the day.

 

It also plans to diversify further as it completes the purchase of Dairy Campo Verde, Lavras (MG), marking its debut in Brazil’s dairy segment.

 

Meanwhile, in the soft drinks category, the latest innovation from Coca-Cola Brazil is Coca-Cola with Stevia and 50 percent less sugars.