This piece is dedicated to Eric Dong, our excellent Patreon supporter and contributor whom we love and appreciate.
By Joe Marrocco
A successful mid-sized coffee roaster based in Springfield recently launched a new marketing campaign geared around the concept of “Indirect Trade Coffee.” I was able to sit down and chat with co-owner Makara Lowry about this movement and the larger questions it speaks to.
JM: Hi, Makara. Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and chat about your company’s latest venture. Would you be willing to talk to me a little bit about the inspiration for your new Indirect Trade marketing campaign?
MK: We find that the best way for us to be transparent is to be open about what we don’t know about our coffee. Since we really don’t know exactly how our coffee is bought and sold before it reaches us, we feel it is our responsibility to let our customers know this as clearly as we can.
JM: So, in order to clearer about what you are unclear about, you simply tell your customers that you are unclear?
MK: Yes.
JM: Doesn’t that simply draw attention to the fact that the specific things you don’t know about your coffee are probably the most important things for you to know?
MK: Exactly. We believe that by being completely honest and transparent we will build more trust with our customers.
JM: I see. I just want to make sure I have the record straight on this. You are saying that you are being more transparent by openly saying that you are not being transparent?
MK: You’ve got it!
JM: Ahh, I see. So what do you say when a customer asks, ‘why is your coffee so expensive?’
MK: We simply say, “We can’t tell you that. It’s part of our indirect relationships with our growers. Our importer has told us that it is important to the health of the supply chain to keep that information concealed. We are thrilled to play a role in protecting that information.”
JM: Thank you again so much for taking the time to meet up and talk more about this. I’m intrigued and will be keeping a close eye on the Indirect Trade movement.
Joe Marrocco is a coffee teacher excited to teach you roasting, green buying, brewing, barista skills, and sensory analysis. He works at Mill City Roasters in MN.
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