Eight O’Clock Coffee is not the first brand to introduce infused and functional coffee blends. The market has long featured various flavor-infused coffees, including unique options like wine-infused and THC-infused varieties for an extra kick. VitaCup, for instance, offers a range of vitamin-infused coffees available in single-use pods designed for specialized machines. Since acquiring Eight O’Clock Coffee from Gryphon Investors in 2006, Tata Global Beverages has implemented several marketing strategies to revitalize the brand. The in-store coffee brand, originally from the A&P grocery chain, was sold to the private equity firm in 2003.
Last year, Tata launched an extensive marketing campaign to promote whole bean coffee to consumers and, in 2012, partnered with Green Mountain to introduce Eight O’Clock K-cups for Keurig machines. This initiative is credited with helping Eight O’Clock Coffee capture a 7% share of the single-serve market in just two years. Recently, the demand for packaged coffee has surged, particularly due to the double-digit growth in single-serve formats. Ready-to-drink options are also gaining popularity, posing a challenge for the Eight O’Clock brand as consumers increasingly prioritize convenience.
It remains uncertain whether the health benefits and flavors of turmeric and cinnamon, or the trendy taste of acai, will entice millennials to invest time in brewing coffee. Tata appears committed to enhancing Eight O’Clock Coffee’s position in the highly competitive packaged coffee landscape, with infused products being one example of their efforts. The incorporation of natural factors, such as potassium citrate, could potentially appeal to younger coffee drinkers, who are generally more open to innovative formulations and packaging. Tata, along with other companies, will closely monitor whether these trends resonate with this demographic in the coming months.