The success of Seattle Sounders FC has helped other local businesses put themselves on the map, too. We've talked before about how Ruffneck Scarves went from local to global as an official Major League Soccer supplier. Seattle Chocolates makes Sounders truffle bars and is also now working with MLS to supply for other clubs.
Enter North Star Fine Coffees. In a soccer-crazy Puget Sound what could possibly make more sense than to pair a caffeine kick with a soccer one? Owner Bryan-David Scott talks with me below about how this growing local company turned to the buzzing Seattle soccer scene to expose their coffees to a larger audience. He's joined in some of the answers by CEO Nate Silverman.
North Star Fine Coffees: Facebook Page & Official Website
Press release: Partnership with Washington Youth Soccer
SSE: How did you go about connecting your coffee with soccer?
Bryan-David Scott: As I looked around Redmond, Bellevue, Kirkland, Everett, Seattle – everywhere I looked – baseball fields were being leveled to make way for soccer fields. I was already well into planning for a blend that we could make; to tie in with sports as a fundraiser. I saw soccer as a great possibility. I conducted research and discovered how wildly popular soccer is. The concept for Kick Coffee™ was born.
Nate Silverman: At first, it was based on the practical realization that moms and dads across the country stand on the sidelines Saturday mornings watching their little ones play soccer. Soccer season is usually Fall, which means the mornings can be brisk and even rainy. Coffee seems like a natural pairing with soccer.
Then, we thought a little more about it and some interesting facts stood out. Coffee is the world’s most popular drink (after water) and, as we all heard during the World Cup, soccer, football, or futbol is the world’s most popular sport. That doesn’t mean much by itself, but it made us investigate potential opportunities.
After looking at our customer data and truly understanding who is buying our coffee, something interesting surfaced. Because we sell only premium grade 1 coffees, our target market is more focused than the general “mass market.” While we do appeal to the Hollywood elite, Upper West Side (NY), and, more locally, the Medina crowd, the majority of our customers are what we call “coffee moms.” Our typical customer is married, with two children, and enjoys an above average household income. They have iPhones and a big screen television. They appreciate quality and have nice wardrobes and at least one relatively new car - usually an SUV. We all remember the “soccer mom” phrase from a few years ago. Well, to us, “coffee moms” are a subset of this audience and a natural progression from the “family taxi driver” image of soccer moms.
Even busy moms need time to self-indulge. Most of their daily routine is focused on helping others - their kids, husbands, parents, in-laws, friends, schools, clubs, etc. They are constantly on the move or planning the next activity. When do they get the precious “time to myself”?
Talk about your partnerships with Washington Youth Soccer.
Nate: As parents of young athletes ourselves, we know how often we are asked to participate in fundraisers. Bake sales, car washes, raffle prizes, etc. These are necessary to support specific activities or keep mandatory registration fees down. But, they also are a lot of work and don’t always make financial sense.
So, we thought, there’s got to be a better way. There’s got to be a way to give to our team that doesn’t take a lot of time and actually gets me something I want.
Our coffee!
We are launching a program with Washington Youth Soccer this month (August) whereby North Star Fine Coffees will donate $2.00 for every package sold to local teams plus an additional $.90 cents per package to support Washington Youth Soccer’s Olympic Development Program. In addition, there will be prizes for individual players and teams. Washington families can support youth soccer simply by enjoying some of the top 5% of coffee sold in the world.
As it turns out, our company is perfect for this sort of program. We built our company to operate primarily online. Because of the technology systems and infrastructure we have in place, fundraising programs like this are easily implemented and the process is smooth and easy for organizations to operate. Most coaches, team managers and parents are volunteers. They don’t have time to do ‘extra work’ so we assign special trackable codes for each participating player. Individuals (family, friends, neighbors, parents’ coworkers, or online contacts) order coffee directly from North Star Fine Coffees and enter the appropriate code. North Star then processes the orders and ships fresh roasted coffees directly to the buyer. Volunteers don’t have to collect forms, chase down payments or coordinate the distribution of anything.
We believe this simple process will increase donations to Washington Youth Soccer to support teams statewide. Also, Washington Youth Soccer’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) is used to identify and develop the most talented and passionate youth players throughout the state. Starting at age 13, players are selected on the basis of open tryouts and a scouting system in hopes of making the State ODP pool and team. As the basis for Regional ODP and US National team selections, State ODP players are filtered through the system and provided the best training in order to strengthen the overall foundation of soccer in the United States.
Almost everyone drinks coffee - actually 80% of adults in the U.S.. We want people who have a desire to support soccer to take this opportunity and try our coffees. For a person that hasn’t had our coffees, it is difficult to understand why it is so special. Coffee is coffee, right? But, here’s something many people don’t know. There are 28 grades of coffee; most people drink a grade 15 - 28. Most people that enjoy 'specialty' or 'gourmet' coffees aren't being offered coffees better than a grade 5, which qualifies at the minimum level for a specialty coffee.
North Star Fine Coffees only offers GRADE 1, which is the finest quality bean available in the world. Our coffees are the top 5% in the world. Fact supported by Specialty Coffee Association of America.
So, if people try our coffee once, we’re confident they’ll order again and again. Their coffee purchases almost become an annuity for Washington Youth Soccer and for their kid’s team. By simply enjoying their favorite coffee, thousands of people can contribute to something they already believe in and support.
Third, we want to make this a lot of fun. We are developing a system where players can win great prizes for themselves and their teams. There will be different levels of prizes, with some truly great gifts for “high scorers” that really go all out to support the cause.
Give us a brief behind the scenes take on the roll-out of Kick Coffee™ and the partnership with Sounders FC.
Bryan-David: In the fall of ’09, I developed Kick Coffee™, the first-ever specialty coffee made for soccer fans. At that time, I began sending samples throughout Seattle, and other major markets. Everywhere I sent the coffee people were “Wowed!” Right around that time I was introduced to Sounders FC. As a result of the development of Kick Coffee™ and the buzz being generated about North Star Fine Coffees, executives at Major League Soccer heard about us. We were then offered an opportunity to be a part of the MLS Cup, 2009. Once Sounders FC executives tasted Kick Coffee™ (and, some of our other blends), they fell in love with our coffees. They wanted Sounders fans to experience Kick Coffee™. In spring of 2010 we were offered a partnership. We are proudly displayed throughout their website, and we are featured on Sounders FC radio and TV broadcasts.
What other coffee-soccer partnerships do you have in the pipeline?
Bryan-David: Other developments are exciting, but can’t disclose details at this time. As soon as we can, Goal Seattle will be among the first to know!
Below is a Seattle Soccer Examiner exclusive: a first-ever public sneak-peek at the newly-created label for Kick Coffee™.
Comments