In just over three decades Nespresso has managed to park itself firmly in the coffee industry. It has become synonymous with the perfect espresso. All thanks to brilliant marketing strategies. But what are they? We’ll discuss them in this blog. 

From celebrity endorsements to their memorable ads, we’ll talk about all things creative in Nespresso’s marketing approach. So, by the end of this blog, you’ll have a lot of marketing lessons to take away from the coffee expert. 

A quick shot of Nespresso’s history 

Eric Favre, an engineer at Nestlé, had one job at hand. It was to come up with the concept for a machine to simplify the coffee-making process at home while being able to deliver Italian espresso bar like quality. 

In 1975, Eric Favre was fascinated by the kind of taste that a Roman coffee shop, Sant’Eustachio Il Caffè was able to achieve through the simple trick of pumping the coffee machine piston multiple times instead of once. Equipped with the idea he headed back to his office in Switzerland. Within a year, the single-serve coffee system from Nestlé was introduced. 

Growing steadily from there, the Nespresso brand was established in 1986. What started out as an idea for office coffee machines in Switzerland, Japan, and Italy has now become a household name in the US. Today Nespresso has established its presence in more than 81 countries. 

Looking at the brand’s growth over the years you’ll notice that Nespresso’s marketing approach has been pretty unique. Unlike several brands that have their campaigns all over the place, Nespresso has been very focused in terms of delivering its brand message and it has been doing so consistently. At the same time, the brand has also expanded its presence and kept up with the evolving digital marketing realm. 

Put simply, in marketing lingo, Nespresso has the perfect marketing mix. In case you need a quick refresher on marketing mix and the 4 Ps of marketing (or the 7 Ps as per the modern marketing mix) head over to our blog here. 

And once you are ready, grab your Nespresso and sit back. We are going to take a peek into the 4 Ps of Nespresso’s marketing mix. 

Nespresso’s marketing mix 

Product 

Clearly defining what “product” you offer is the first step to successful marketing. And your campaigns should focus on showcasing how your product solves a problem or makes something simpler for your customers. 

Over the years, Nespresso has consistently associated itself with coffee. The products in focus have always been the signature coffee capsules and coffee machines. Sticking to a narrow niche, the brand has won the hearts of millions around the world. 

Additionally, Nespresso’s product strategy works because these products come as a solution to a problem that anyone who has made a cup of coffee on a busy morning would relate to. The tedious process of getting the right brew! Nespresso stands out as it offers a convenient way to tackle this through its ready-to-use coffee capsules and user-friendly coffee machines that are perfect for the on-the-go generation. 

Pricing 

Pricing strategy is one of the most critical pieces in the marketing puzzles and Nespresso has hit the jackpot with this one. Consumers often compare price with quality. High-priced items are expected to be of the finest quality. Accordingly, Nespresso has consistently promoted itself as a premium coffee brand.

Instead of having a broad and unfocused pricing strategy, the brand has been clear about the market it wishes to target. It has always focused on a luxurious coffee experience. An indulgence. 

From the packaging design to the promotional campaign designs, everything from Nespresso has aligned with the brand’s pricing strategy. 

Place 

Nespresso has always been a direct-to-consumer brand with its products available through multiple distribution channels like retail stores and ecommerce sites. 

Additionally, direct sale from the brand is made possible through the 802 Nespresso boutiques in more than 500 cities as well as the Nespresso website and mobile app. 

Making it easy for customers to find their favorite Nespresso machine as well as to quickly shop to restock their coffee pod supplies is Nespresso’s way of tackling the 3rd P in the marketing mix. 

Promotion 

And now finally, let’s talk about the promotion component in Nespresso’s marketing mix. From building brand awareness to consistently winning over new customers, Nespresso’s marketing activities focus on several aspects. The brand has been known for its omnichannel approach to promoting its products and services. All of these involve campaigns with clear goals and a crisp message. 

To understand how Nespresso has progressed steadily in a competitive segment, let’s look at some of the marketing strategies that have helped the brand. 

Best of Nespresso’s marketing strategies and campaigns 

1. Laying down a strong brand identity 

Nespresso knows well that ads work only when there is a concrete brand identity behind them. Therefore, the brand has been consistent and clear about its brand identity design elements like the logo for example. 

The Nespresso logo we see today has been the same since the company was established. 

Nespresso uses an elegant wordmark logo. The simplicity of this logo is what makes it timeless. The brand uses black which is quite a common brand color in the premium segment. Given that Nespresso promotes itself as a luxury coffee brand, the color works well. 

The stylized N creates a point of focus and the sleek sans-serif font gives the design a contemporary touch. The use of uppercase letters in the wordmark logo makes the design appear bold, perhaps indicating that the brand is here to make a statement, to innovate, and stand out in a crowded market. 

The ads from the brand in various formats also resonate with the simple, modern, and bold style that the brand’s logo represents. 

KIMP Tip: Solid branding is essential in providing a strategic direction for marketing activities. Without a strong brand identity in place, how will you know if the ads that you create will help shape your brand’s reputation instead of just promoting sales? 

So, before you start planning your marketing campaigns, ensure that you have a clear brand style guide in place. This document will tell your creative team what kind of elements and themes to include in your ads in order to accurately represent your brand. 

Need help designing your brand guidelines? Choose a KIMP Graphics subscription. 

2. The Nespresso x George Clooney collaboration 

Working with influencers and celebrities is a timeless idea in marketing. While some brands work with a whole list of stars throughout their growth years, some stick to long-term collaborations. And Nespresso fits in the second category. George Clooney has been the one solid brand ambassador of Nespresso for several years now. 

Yes, you’ll see other stars appear in many Nespresso ads but George Clooney still remains a critical part of Nespresso’s marketing. 

George has been appearing in Nespresso’s international ads since 2006. Within a few years since the collaboration kicked off, George Clooney also joined the Nespresso Sustainability Advisory Board (NSAB). This is a good example of a brand ambassador who is truly invested in the brand. Such collaborations and long-term partnerships turn out to be fruitful for both parties involved. 

3. Tapping into the strength of consistency 

One thing you’ll instantly notice in Nespresso’s marketing is its consistency. Like working with the same brand ambassador for a long time, the brand also maintains the theme in its ads. 

Take a look at the Nespresso ads below and you’ll know what we mean. The first one appeared more than a decade ago and the second one is from a few weeks ago. 

From the message to the tagline and even the jingle, the brand has managed to maintain consistency over the years. What’s the result of this? When a Nespresso ad plays, you immediately recognize it. The idea sticks! 

KIMP Tip: Longevity is an overlooked idea in marketing. While some brands are all about exploring trends, altering their logo as per trending colors, and changing their taglines every few years, some brands choose to stick with a solid idea for years. Like Nespresso in this case. 

In addition to your brand logo, your brand colors and tagline also represent your brand effectively. So, pay attention to these pivotal branding elements and consistently incorporate them in your ads. 

4. Clearly establishing its brand values 

Nespresso’s marketing efforts have always aligned with preserving and enhancing coffee culture. Along these lines, the brand introduced Nespresso Farmer Future Program in 2014 in collaboration with Fairtrade International, the Colombian government, and cooperatives in Caldas. 

The program focuses on farmers’ welfare in the form of pension schemes for farmers. This initiative is effective in strongly connecting Nespresso to “coffee”. 

5. The idea of growing together 

The common idea is that brands focusing on homemade coffee and coffee shops are at opposite poles, directly competing with each other. But Nespresso knows how to make such competition work in favor of the brand. The Nespresso-Starbucks collaboration is a good example of this. 

The Starbucks® by Nespresso® range includes coffee capsules that blend the rich Starbucks taste and exclusive Nespresso coffee machine convenience. With the range appealing to the large audience bases of both Nespresso and Starbucks, the partnership is a win-win for the brands. 

6. Taking an eco-conscious step forward 

Single-use coffee pods mean an additional load on household waste. To tackle this, Nespresso introduced its recycling process. This allows customers to recycle Nespresso capsules conveniently. The dropoff and pickup points supported vary from one region to another but the idea is to make it easier for customers to give the capsules back to the brand so that the aluminum in these capsules can be recycled.  

7. Effective use of advertising platforms 

Just like expanding its distribution channels to ensure that customers can easily access their favorite Nespresso products, the brand has also expanded its ad presence. The brand makes use of traditional formats like TV ads, like the ones featuring George Clooney for example, as well as newspaper ads, outdoor ads, social media ads, and more. 

Well. most brands make use of these advertising media these days. So, how does Nespresso ensure that it gets noticed? By exercising creativity. Take the below OOH campaign for example. Of course, Nespresso uses billboards too but an idea like this one creates a more memorable experience than a traditional billboard ad. 

Another example of Nespresso’s creative use of outdoor advertising is the art installation it created for its Doing is Everything campaign. For this campaign in Bulgaria, Nespresso worked with local artists to create an art installation that incorporates disposed Nespresso capsules. 

Ideas like these make people stop and take notice and also win media coverage for the brand. 

Design your Nespresso-inspired ads with KIMP

From defining your brand identity to creating ads that add depth and meaning to this identity, every little step you take determines how well your brand tackles the competition. We hope exploring Nespresso’s marketing strategies sparked a lot of new ideas in you. To bring these ideas to life and to take your brand’s marketing to the next level, you need visuals that carry your message. To create these visuals, a professional design team is just what you need. So, get KIMP! 

Sign up now and try Kimp for free, for 7 days!