In 2008, Costa set itself the ambitious target of becoming the world's challenger coffee-shop brand, second only to Starbucks, by the end of 2010.
To achieve this, it devised an international hub, enabling it to deliver a consistent yet culturally appropriate brand experience via centrally created campaigns across its developed and developing markets.
Creating the hub included drawing up a 12-month strategic communications plan with key performance indicators, a set of international guiding principles, and cultural visual and tonal dos and don'ts.
It also included formulating store visuals and consumer touchpoints, consumer segmentation and insight work, and sales and brand-tracker reports to measure a campaign's success.
The international hub has allowed Costa to benefit from the efficiencies of central control, while recognising the sensibilities of each market. To push the message that it delivers 'superlative coffee' to its global customer base, Costa also ran an ad campaign that placed its baristas centre stage, promoting their coffee-making skills above those of its competitors.
The brand has also worked hard to push its food offering, with marketing activity that positions it as of equal quality to its coffee, under the strapline 'Quality food where you'll find quality coffee.'
Since setting its target, Costa has increased its network from 1100 outlets across 16 countries to 1800 across 28. Over the same period, annual sales have risen from £285m to £524m.
Over the past 12 months, global like-for-like sales were up 10.7%, while Costa has become the world's second-biggest coffee chain. Costa claims awareness, satisfaction scores and recommendation rates have increased by 10%-15% more than its rivals.
The judges said: 'Costa's performance sends out a clear message to its arch-rival Starbucks not to rest on its laurels.'
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