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Coffee culture in the UK has become increasingly sophisticated, with consumers demanding more from their coffee brands. Some drinkers recognise ground coffee to be superior to everyday instant and are keen to offer the 'right' coffee in a social setting, although they lack confidence in making coffee and dislike the hassle involved. Kraft Foods aimed to bridge the gap between the taste and image of what people refer to as 'proper coffee' and the convenience of instant, with the launch of Kenco Millicano Wholebean Instant.

The product has revolutionised supermarket coffee aisles and answered an emerging consumer need - to combine the convenience of instant coffee with a quality and taste reminiscent of roast and ground. The first new coffee format on shelf for 40 years, the 'Wholebean Instant' product is a mixture of ordinary freeze-dried coffee and finely milled wholebeans.

This delivers an aroma and mouth-feel that is much closer to that of a roast and ground coffee. Consumers perceived the format as 'next generation coffee' and Kenco Millicano used a silver tin to re-inforce that this was an entirely new category. A risque advertising campaign across TV, print and advertorials sought to change the target consumer's perceptions and buying habits, in what is a low-interest category.

By the end of 2011, Kenco Millicano took 1.5% volume share and 2.1% value share of the pure soluble coffee market. Sales hit £11.86m in just eight months. Judges commended the launch's 'really good return on investment'.

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