Strategic Message Planner: The Coffeine Cup
Advertising Goal
To bring awareness to a more eco-friendly alternative to wasteful disposable cups and
promote a fresh, green and environmentally driven brand image.
Client: Key Facts
• Whirley Drink Works! produces high quality food and beverage containers.
• The company is family owned and operated manufacturer that designs the
products to have an artistic flare.
• Whirley Drink Works! adopts a goal to be a “Zero Waste” facility. Since 2004,
the company has reground and reused over 2 million pounds of plastic and created
a product line made of 80% recycled plastic.
• The manufacturer collects and recycles processed water to cool the hydraulic
machines, reducing water waste by 80%.
• Bob Sokolski, CEO of Whirley Drink Works!, was the recipient of the Warren
County Chamber of Business and Industry’s first Philanthropy Award.
• Whirley Drink Works! is voluntarily audited by three international lab partners:
Intertek, Specialized Technology Resources (STR) and Bureau Veritas.
• Whirley Drink Works! is consistently awarded a Certificate of Excellence from
the ASI Food Safety Consultants group in 2008.
• The company complies with California Proposition 65 of 1986, a law put into
place to promote clean drinking water and keep toxic substances out of consumer
products.
Product: Key Features
What is the Product?
• The Coffeine Cup is an insulating stainless steel tumble with an outer decorative
layer made with Polypropylene.
• The Coffeine Cup can hold up to 20 oz.
• The Coffeine Cup will cost $1.29 for each refill.
• The Coffeine Cup will cost $5.99 for each cup sold.
• The Coffeine Cup does honor a free cup of coffee upon purchase of the cup.
What is the Purpose of the Product?
• The Coffeine Cup is an alternative reusable cup instead of disposable cups.
• The Coffeine Cup is the alternative to the reusable cup used for soda fountains
across both campuses for those who would rather drink coffee instead of soda.
What is the Product Made of?
• The Coffeine Cups is made of Made in the USA and containing 35% postconsumer material.
The Coffeine Cup SMP-­‐2 •
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Polypropylene is the main plastic material, which never contains BPA or
Triclosan.
The Coffeine Cup is dishwasher safe and microwave safe.
Who and What Made the Product?
• The Coffeine Cup is manufactured by Whirley Drink Works!
• Whirley Drink Works!’ most recent ASI audit graded us as "Excellent" in food
safety standards quality.
Target Audience: Demographics and Psychographics
The target audience for this ad is college student’s ages 18 to 24 who struggle with two
key components: money and staying awake. The average college student has other
obligations outside of school. Most have jobs and/or other extra curricular activities.
College students depend on coffee to get them through long, grueling nights while they
are working on assignments, writing papers or cramming for tests.
Studies from the National Coffee Association show that 40% of college students drink
coffee to stay awake on a daily basis. An average student will spend $2 per cup of coffee,
which exceeds to $60 a month on coffee alone. The Coffeine Cup reduces cost spent on
coffee each month to $39, an average savings of $21 per month.
UTSA students already have the option to buy the soda fountain refillable cups; however,
The NPR website announced that college students are switching from soda to coffee. This
observation was based rapid increase of coffee shops around any given college town and
how vastly those shops will fill up.
Coffee has transformed the modern day image of a student, innovating lives socially with
the trend of “coffee dates” or studying at the nearest coffee shop. It is common for the
average student to update their Facebook or Twitter status with demand of coffee to start
their morning.
An article from the CSULA University Times states that, “Rain or shine, students and
faculty wait patiently … for twenty to thirty minutes to get their cup of coffee.” On the
other hand, students could use that time to study.
Both UTSA main-campus Starbucks constantly have people standing in long lines. The
Coffeine Cup allows students who just want coffee to save time and money by getting
coffee at the POD Express kiosks or the John Peace Library (JPL) café.
Product Benefits
• The Coffeine Cup is reusable.
• The Coffeine Cup saves money by giving students a cheaper alternative than
buying an individual, less eco-friendly cup.
The Coffeine Cup SMP-­‐3 •
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The Coffeine Cup is manufactured to hold up to 20 ounces of coffee, thus
allowing students to drink as little or as much as they choose.
The Coffeine Cup is designed conveniently to fit in car cup holders.
The Coffeine Cup insulates the coffee inside and keeps it warmer longer a regular
disposable cup.
Direct Competitors and Brand Images
Direct competitors are other reusable cups that save customers money:
• UTSA’s soda fountain refillable cups: Soda does provide a satisfying amount of
caffeine to college students. The reusable cup for soda refills used at all soda
fountains on both campuses.
• Starbucks: Starbucks gives a $0.10 discount with the company’s Cup Discount.
Starbucks sells its own insulated reusable cups, but at a much greater cost to its
customers.
Indirect Competitors and Brand Images
• At-home coffee makers: Keurig/Coffee brewers are vastly popular with this
demographic, too. It’s a potential hazard against this target audience because
customers/students can always brew at home and bring their own cups from
home.
• Bottled soda: Bottled soda bought from the vending machines or the cafeteria
areas can potentially attract our target audience because the bottles are smaller,
disposable, and more immediately convenient to the student (immediate in that
they can throw the bottles in the trash cans or recycle bins).
• UTSA’s Cafeterias: Both campuses have a wide variety of food and beverage
options, thus potentially marginalizing our sales through the variety of drink
options.
Product Brand Image
• Current brand image: The target audience believes in the value and ecofriendliness of The Coffeine Cup, but our audience seems underwhelmed by the
current cup design.
• Desired brand image: The Coffeine Cup is a solution to impractical disposable
waste and is able to save students money while giving them the option for more
cup designs.
• Brand image challenge: The target audience is unenthusiastic about the increase
in price for The Coffeine Cup’s new design, which costs higher to manufacture
than the previous design.
The Coffeine Cup SMP-­‐4 Strategic Message: The Promise
The Coffeine Cup eliminates useless waste and provides a hefty discount to UTSA
students while it simultaneously promotes a more eco-friendly way to enjoy coffee the
way you like it.
Supporting Evidence: The Proof
• Whirley Drink Works! has redesigned a new customizable edition of The
Coffeine Cup for better functionality to our target audience.
• Whirley Drink Works!’ most recent ASI audit graded us as "Excellent" in food
safety standards quality.
• The Coffeine Cup continues to be environmentally and economically conscious.
• The Coffeine Cup is manufactured with polypropylene, a plastic that does not
contain BPA or Triclosan.