Most categories are full of new brands, many from small, dynamic start-ups. There is never one size fits all, but TrueStart Coffee reflects some of the key success factors.
The brand was originally launched by husband-and-wife team Simon and Helena Hills in 2016 and marketed as the “world’s first caffeine-controlled instant coffee”. Since initial launch they have rebranded and ventured into ground, instant and cold brew coffee.
TrueStart’s award-winning range of drinks are the only flavoured Cold Brew Coffees in the world that have no sugar, no calories and nothing artificial. They are also vegan and Rainforest-Alliance certified, and the coffee is sourced from where Helena used to live in South America – adding the authenticity that is important to a founder’s story.
TrueStart Coffee has been certified as a B Corp at the end of 2021. The ‘stable caffeine’ coffee brand achieved an “outstanding” score of 99.6 in the B Corp assessment, coming out strongest on ‘environment’ followed by ‘workers’.
The brand disruptor was created in response to existing brands dominating the coffee industry with sugary, milky products that do not resonate with the younger generation.
This is a good example of what challenger/start up brands need to deliver to make an impact in crowded, highly competitive markets. 1. Build from a distinctive product truth that is relevant to consumers and is more than just a positioning idea. 2. Support this with an authentic purpose or reason to exist that is meaningful to your audience and differentiates you against more established brands. 3. Make EVERYTHING you do reflect it i.e. it is not just a ‘marketing idea’. This combination of product, purpose and authenticity are elements that bigger brands sometimes find hard to deliver and it is one reason why our supermarket shelves and online marketplaces are packed with new, small and dynamic brands.
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