FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CARIBOU COFFEE BREWS ITS WAY TO THE TOP IN ZÓCALO GROUP’S LATEST
RECOMMENDATION INDEXSM
While Starbucks is Most Talked-about Brand, People are More Likely to Make Recommendation
When Talking About Caribou Coffee
CHICAGO, Feb. 2, 2012 ― Buying coffee to drink on the go is an American tradition and a $20 billioni
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per-year industry . With more than 75 percent of U.S. adults consuming coffee and more than a million
conversations about the category occurring online over a period of 30 days, Zócalo Group’s most recent
Recommendation Index uncovered the country’s most recommended coffeehouse chains – and how they
got that way.
Not surprisingly, Starbucks is the most talked-about coffeehouse chain online. But despite being the
leader in online conversation volume, the brand is only recommended in about 1 in 200 conversations –
while Caribou Coffee earns a recommendation once in every 20 conversations. Dunkin’ Donuts and
McDonald’s follow Caribou in the Recommendation Index rankings of the top 10 largest coffeehouse
chains operating in the U.S.
“Recommendations drive not only brand perception, but more importantly, purchasing decisions,” said
Paul M. Rand, president and CEO of Zócalo Group. “By making the important distinction between a
cursory mention and a positive recommendation, we were able to glean more revealing insights about the
role that recommendations played within the coffeehouse chain industry.”
The Recommendation Index found that top themes associated with positive coffeehouse chain
recommendations include product quality and freshness, brand loyalty and brew consistency. Primary
drivers of negative word of mouth point to poor product quality, unskilled baristas and brand detractors –
all of which further illustrate the value consumers place in great taste and service when choosing where
to buy their coffee.
"The Recommendation Index illustrates that while a brand’s volume of conversation is important, a high
volume doesn’t necessarily increase the likelihood that someone will make a recommendation,”
commented Zach Mesenbourg, manager of Zócalo Group's Insights & Analytics Team. "And that scenario
is exactly what we saw with Caribou Coffee and Starbucks. While people talked more about Starbucks
overall, those who talked about Caribou Coffee were stronger advocates and recommenders.”
Recommendation Index Results
Unlike standard metrics that ask, “Would you recommend this brand?” the Recommendation Index
determines why, where and how often people recommend individual brands. The Index highlights not only
the overall conversation volume, but also the level of positive recommendations.
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The top 10 coffeehouse chains (of those operating in the United States) ranked by conversation volume
during a recent 30-day period include:
Conversation Volume (# of mentions)
1,018,524
73,977
18,079
15,256
14,176
8,711
6,798
3,646
3,344
1,033
The Recommendation Index also evaluates the percentage of this conversation that is actually a positive
recommendation. The top 10 coffeehouse chains (of those operating in the United States) ranked by level
of positive recommendation include:
Percentage of Conversation
with a Postive Recommendation
4.6%
3.7%
2.4%
2.1%
1.9%
1.7%
1.4%
1.4%
1.1%
0.5%
In addition, the Recommendation Index provides insight into the positive and negative keywords and/or
phrases used to trigger recommendations as well as the drivers of word of mouth. Top drivers of positive
recommendations in the coffeehouse chain conversation include:
Product Quality & Freshness – good taste, always fresh, and delicious flavor
Brand Loyalty – an unconditional affinity for a particular brand
Brew Consistency – getting the same good cup of coffee time after time
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Skilled Baristas – friendly staff that create delicious specialty drinks
Physical Location – the best place to hang out, relax, and meet with friends
Top drivers of negative recommendations include:
Poor Product Quality – bad taste, poor flavor, and old or burnt coffee
Unskilled Baristas – staff that often “messes up” drinks
Brand Detractors – overall dislike, contempt, or hatred for a particular brand
Exaggerated Comparisons – tastes like dirt, tanning oil, and other substances
Physical Side Effects – complaints of discomfort associated with the coffee
Methodology
The Recommendation Index was created by Zócalo Group to understand not only which are the most talkedabout brands across social channels, but also to better understand each brand’s percentage of positive
recommendations.
For the current Recommendation Index, the study identified the 10 largest national and regional coffeehouse
chains (based on sales figures and number of locations in the United States) and then examined online
conversations occurring across blogs, forums, Twitter and other discussion venues over a 30-day time period.
Online analysis focused on the naturally occurring, organic conversations about those brands and the words
consumers used to make explicit recommendations. Key triggers and themes pertaining to both positive and
negative recommendations were also examined. To learn more about the Recommendation Index, please visit
www.zocalogroup.com.
CONTACT:
Leah Bassett
lbassett@zocalogroup.com
312.596.6304
i
The Coffee Marvel Blog, How Big is the Coffee Industry? http://www.coffeemarvel.com/blog/post/2010/05/17/How-Big-is-the-CoffeeIndustry.aspx (May. 17, 2010).
ii
National Coffee Association, 2011 National Coffee Drinking Trends,
http://www.ncausa.org/custom/headlines/headlinedetails.cfm?id=762&returnto=778 (June 28, 2011).
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