"Skinny latte, extra foam, to go please…"
Consumers the world over are highly in favour of coffee giants and
the vast array of choices they offer, reveals global market research
agency Synovate.
In a study that sought to illuminate coffee culture around the globe,
Synovate spoke to 5,806 respondents in the US, UK, France, Brazil,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Serbia, Morocco and Australia. Overall, 76
percent of respondents agreed that 'large multinational coffee chains
are good because they expand choices for consumers'.
However, it's clearly a trade-off between enjoyment and principles
for many, with 28 percent also agreeing that these 'large multinational
chains have negatively impacted local culture'.
Do you agree that large multinational coffee chains are good because
they expand choices for consumers?
The big guns versus the little guys
According to the survey, a huge 74 percent of Moroccans agree that coffee
from large international chains is of better quality than coffee from small,
independent shops. Next came Hong Kongers at 50 percent, closely followed
by Brazilians. Surprisingly, Australians and Americans show particularly
low agreement on this score (11 percent and 14 percent respectively), suggesting
that these nations are more likely to support the 'little guys'.
In terms of whether these chains have negatively impacted local culture,
Moroccans again topped our survey, a paradox which suggests an element of
moral conflict in their coffee choices. At the opposite end of the spectrum,
however, only 11 percent of Hong Kongers and 20 percent of Serbians felt this
was an issue.
Commenting on the Asian perspective, Synovate Managing Director Hong Kong,
Jill Telford said:
"Asians don't have the almost automatic negative reaction to big business
that Westerners seem to have. They are much more accepting and tolerant of
big companies. Perhaps this finding says more about the West than about Asia."
Meanwhile, Synovate's General Manager in Serbia, Milica Vulicevic, explained
that such notions haven't yet reached her nation:
"Serbia has suffered so much conflict that people don't have time or space
in their heads to think about environmental or sustainable issues – apart
from clusters of intellectuals living in urban centres. The concept of large
multinational coffee chains negatively impacting on local cultures is not the
sort of thing people read, listen to or talk about in general."
Love latte or rather have regular?
Once we've got past the ethnical issues, what is our favourite type of coffee
bought outside the home? Whilst preferences vary from country to country, it
seems that the majority of us prefer the simpler things in life. Almost half
of the US respondents would opt for regular coffee, along with some
two out of five Brazilians and French and about a third of Brits and Singaporeans.
Meanwhile, the cappuccino is king in Australia (45 percent) while Moroccans love
their lattes (38 percent). Unsurprisingly, espresso is relatively popular in France,
while mocha seems to go down better in Singapore and Hong Kong than anywhere else.
What is your favourite type of coffee?
Starbucks gets top billing
When asked which coffee shop or café first comes to mind for quality
ready-to-drink coffee, a majority of respondents from Hong Kong and
the US mentioned Starbucks.
The ubiquitous coffee giant was also recalled by a significant proportion
of Brits and Singaporeans.
Over in France, however, unspecified bars, restaurants or cafés were top
of mind, with Starbucks cited by a mere 2 percent. The top result for
Australians was Gloria Jean at 32 percent, while two in five Serbians
mentioned Nescafé.
This latter finding makes sense to Synovate Serbia's Milica Vulicevic:
"Ready-to-drink coffee is very expensive for people in Serbia – the
country is suffering economically, and considering that people here
easily drink 5-10 coffees a day, most will opt for instant."
Wake up and smell the coffee
78 percent of Serbians and two thirds of French and Americans can't
face the day without their morning cup of coffee.
CEO Synovate North America, Bob Skolnick, commented, "Although data
on health benefits are mixed, in recent years the data from large
controlled clinical trials have actually demonstrated that there
may be health benefits from increased coffee consumption. In these
trials, increased consumption of coffee was thought to be linked
with lower incidence of Parkinson's Disease and even diabetes.
These studies show that the more one drinks, the lower the risk
goes. Perhaps such publicity has made that extra cup even more
tempting for the average American."
And it seems that the English (63 percent), Australians (70 percent)
and particularly the Moroccans (90 percent) are glugging coffee the
entire day.
Our Asian markets, however, are the least caffeine-loving nations,
with only 21 percent of Hong Kongers and 44 percent of Singaporeans
reliant on their morning coffee and as little as 12 percent and 31
percent respectively admitting to drinking coffee throughout the
day.
In explanation, Jill Telford referenced the
tea-drinking tradition and health consciousness: "Coffee has not
yet dislodged the traditional milk tea morning drink. It is used
as an afternoon tea drink by many people to help them keep going.
In addition, Asians understand the importance of not overdoing
caffeine consumption. They are very aware of what it does to you."
Not just a drink, an experience
Finally, it seems that 'coffee culture' as typified (or perhaps
accelerated) by popular American sitcoms is very much alive and
well in the markets surveyed.
Unsurprisingly, 78 percent of respondents overall prefer to buy
coffee from a café that has an inviting atmosphere. Moreover,
four out of five Serbians, two thirds of Moroccans and nearly
two thirds of the French say that the main reason for going to
a coffee chain shop or café is to hang out with friends, rather
than for the coffee itself.
Ironically, Americans came lowest on this score – only 14 percent
agreed versus an average of 44 percent across all countries!
