November 30, 2006
Can’t Help Falling in Love with Elvis Coffee
It’s been awhile since the last sighting of the King but now the Ugly Mug Coffee Company, based down the road from Graceland in Memphis, Tenn., has come out with a line of Elvis coffees for Christmas… thank you, thank you very much.
Ugly Mug Coffee has created four limited edition blends for the holiday going under the names Love Me Tender, Santa Baby, Blue Christmas and Silent Night. Consumers can get all four blends for the holiday in a special Elvis Christmas Gift Box 2006.
Ugly Mug first created Elvis Coffee last year in a deal with Elvis Presley Enterprises (EPE). In addition to the limited edition Christmas roasts, Ugly Mug produces a three coffee grocery store series with the names All Shook Up, Jailhouse Rock and Thank You, Thank You Very Much. Schnucks and Kroger Mid South are among those listed on the Ugly Mug web site as carrying the company’s bag coffee.
Two Elvis House Blends (one regular and one decaf) along with two Elvis hot chocolate drinks (Rock-N-Roll and Double Trouble) are currently on the Ugly Mug’s menu. Next year, Ugly Mug plans to rollout its Elvis is 2007 line with four new blends (Elvis is Mellow, Elvis is Smooth, Elvis is Bold and Elvis is Sweet).
Elvis Presley Enterprises is the worldwide licensing, merchandising and business management side of the Presley estate. The King’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, owns 15 percent of the publicly traded company. Last year, EPE generated $42 million in licensing alone. Only former Nirvana lead man Kurt Cobain pulled in more for his estate ($50 million according to Forbes).
Discussion Questions: What is your reaction to Ugly Mug’s Elvis coffee line? What are your thoughts on creating and marketing brands around dead celebrities
as done in this case?
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This release is a one-hit-wonder. I don’t think we’ll see or hear much about it after the holidays.
I think Elvis has incredible selling power — and I’m a big fan of Fair Trade coffee — but I think this idea is a (hound) dog.
I gotta mark it “Return To Sender.”
My reaction? I’m giggling. But then, I’m absolutely sure there are Elvis fans out there who will just think this is the coolest thing. Isn’t this what makes America great? Personally, I’m holding out for the 3 Stooges version.
I like the concept. Nothing new in capitalizing on dead celebrities if the persona of the celebrity ties somehow into the product or service. The blend names are cute and there are millions of Elvis fans who will probably give the brand a try. Next SKU might be “Blue Hawaii” (Kona blend). However, whether this concept has staying power is really the issue – and that goes way beyond the name and tie to Elvis. Will people continue to buy the coffee after trial, i.e. does the coffee meet the taste expectations of Elvis fans? Will Ugly Mug invest in trade + consumer marketing to drive retail distribution and brand awareness or do they think that novel name alone is sufficient? Otherwise the Ugly Mug brand will be a novelty item, selling only in the airport kiosks in Las Vegas.
Personally, I’m waiting for the John Lennon brand to take off with Instant Karma green tea, Norwegian Wood furniture, Working Class Hero jeans, Polythene Pam cooking spray, A Hard Day’s Night sleep aids, etc.
Why not? It may be short-lived for a season but what a marketing ploy! They may actually hit on something in the line that works. More power to them.
Elvis may have left the building but he certainly has left behind an enduring brand! The music industry has a rich history of proffering from artists who have passed away through reissues, remixes, best of compilations, new ‘secret’ master tapes, etc. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash…the list goes on.
Starbucks bought music retailer, Hear Music, for $8 million as is selling many of these artists through their retail outlets.
Hats off to Ugly Mug Coffee to think creatively and proactively in order to integrate the Elvis legacy and brand to market their products and services! What better way to create an emotional connection with your customer than coffee and Elvis?
Wise men say…why not? Jimi Hendrix released fewer than five albums when he was alive and nearly 100 since he died. Look at the web and you’ll find books detailing the conversations between Elvis and Jesus in heaven. Even Jerry Garcia “channeled” a book after he died. Dead celebrities are clearly a big business. The only surprise here is that nobody thought of it before.
Elvis is a bigger industry now than when he was alive. This is a business issue, not a moral issue.
Ask yourself, what would retailing be without Washington and Lincoln’s birthday sales; or the biggest celebrity marketing event of all — Christmas?
No question that Elvis sells. But coffee? Where’s the connection? Clothing, hair products, sunglasses, anything along those lines would have a closer association with “The King.”
The key to borrowed interest branding (which is what this is) is that there be a relevant relationship between the product and the “interest” borrowed. Now Elvis branded Fried Peanut Butter Sandwiches…there’s a winner!
Elvis was the real deal and so it seems is the coffee that bears his name. According to ElvisCoffee.com, the King’s own fresh-roasted house blend is “a quality cup that soars to the top of the charts. 100% Organic. 100% Fair Trade. 100% Rock-N-Roll.”
Elvis was a bit ahead of my time but interestingly my kids (10, 13, 17) really like him (mostly the early stuff it seems). I may even place an order to have the Christmas gift box sent to a King lover in the family.
A sidebar to this story is that Ad Age reports Hershey is rolling out a limited edition Elvis Presley peanut-butter-and-banana-creme under the Reese’s brand.
There’s a market research firm, Q Scores, with a service, Dead Q see http://www.qscores.com/dead.asp
Dead Q measures people’s propensity to value endorsements from dead celebs. Not just Hollywood and music celebrities, but also historical figures like George Washington. Celebrity endorsements are a huge business, and there’s a scientific way to measure the impact.
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This release is a one-hit-wonder. I don’t think we’ll see or hear much about it after the holidays.
I think Elvis has incredible selling power — and I’m a big fan of Fair Trade coffee — but I think this idea is a (hound) dog.
I gotta mark it “Return To Sender.”
My reaction? I’m giggling. But then, I’m absolutely sure there are Elvis fans out there who will just think this is the coolest thing. Isn’t this what makes America great? Personally, I’m holding out for the 3 Stooges version.
I like the concept. Nothing new in capitalizing on dead celebrities if the persona of the celebrity ties somehow into the product or service. The blend names are cute and there are millions of Elvis fans who will probably give the brand a try. Next SKU might be “Blue Hawaii” (Kona blend). However, whether this concept has staying power is really the issue – and that goes way beyond the name and tie to Elvis. Will people continue to buy the coffee after trial, i.e. does the coffee meet the taste expectations of Elvis fans? Will Ugly Mug invest in trade + consumer marketing to drive retail distribution and brand awareness or do they think that novel name alone is sufficient? Otherwise the Ugly Mug brand will be a novelty item, selling only in the airport kiosks in Las Vegas.
Personally, I’m waiting for the John Lennon brand to take off with Instant Karma green tea, Norwegian Wood furniture, Working Class Hero jeans, Polythene Pam cooking spray, A Hard Day’s Night sleep aids, etc.
Why not? It may be short-lived for a season but what a marketing ploy! They may actually hit on something in the line that works. More power to them.
Elvis may have left the building but he certainly has left behind an enduring brand! The music industry has a rich history of proffering from artists who have passed away through reissues, remixes, best of compilations, new ‘secret’ master tapes, etc. Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash…the list goes on.
Starbucks bought music retailer, Hear Music, for $8 million as is selling many of these artists through their retail outlets.
Hats off to Ugly Mug Coffee to think creatively and proactively in order to integrate the Elvis legacy and brand to market their products and services! What better way to create an emotional connection with your customer than coffee and Elvis?
Wise men say…why not? Jimi Hendrix released fewer than five albums when he was alive and nearly 100 since he died. Look at the web and you’ll find books detailing the conversations between Elvis and Jesus in heaven. Even Jerry Garcia “channeled” a book after he died. Dead celebrities are clearly a big business. The only surprise here is that nobody thought of it before.
Elvis is a bigger industry now than when he was alive. This is a business issue, not a moral issue.
Ask yourself, what would retailing be without Washington and Lincoln’s birthday sales; or the biggest celebrity marketing event of all — Christmas?
No question that Elvis sells. But coffee? Where’s the connection? Clothing, hair products, sunglasses, anything along those lines would have a closer association with “The King.”
The key to borrowed interest branding (which is what this is) is that there be a relevant relationship between the product and the “interest” borrowed. Now Elvis branded Fried Peanut Butter Sandwiches…there’s a winner!
Elvis was the real deal and so it seems is the coffee that bears his name. According to ElvisCoffee.com, the King’s own fresh-roasted house blend is “a quality cup that soars to the top of the charts. 100% Organic. 100% Fair Trade. 100% Rock-N-Roll.”
Elvis was a bit ahead of my time but interestingly my kids (10, 13, 17) really like him (mostly the early stuff it seems). I may even place an order to have the Christmas gift box sent to a King lover in the family.
A sidebar to this story is that Ad Age reports Hershey is rolling out a limited edition Elvis Presley peanut-butter-and-banana-creme under the Reese’s brand.
There’s a market research firm, Q Scores, with a service, Dead Q see http://www.qscores.com/dead.asp
Dead Q measures people’s propensity to value endorsements from dead celebs. Not just Hollywood and music celebrities, but also historical figures like George Washington. Celebrity endorsements are a huge business, and there’s a scientific way to measure the impact.