Survey Shows Bostonians Would Sooner Cut Tom Brady’s Hair or Rat Out Whitey Bulger Than Give Up Their Coffee
Green Mountain Coffee Survey Gauges Bostonians’ Coffee Habits And Fair-Trade Savvy
Boston, MA (PRWEB) October 15, 2010
A survey conducted on behalf of Green Mountain Coffee® shows what many of us would already suspect: Boston is a coffee-crazed town. In fact, according to Green Mountain Coffee’s Fair Trade-Out Survey, 1 in 3 Bostonians confess that they believe they need coffee every day, and on average drink 2.4 cups of coffee per day. Almost 1 in 5 (17%) drinks four or more cups daily.
But even with all the coffee drinking in Beantown it seems very few in the Hub know much about the coffee in their cup, including how to make it, where it comes from, and perhaps most importantly, how their choice of coffee can have an impact on communities around the world. Conducted in celebration of Fair Trade Month in October, The Fair Trade-Out Survey explores Boston’s relationship with coffee and aims to educate coffee drinkers on the benefits of trading out their coffee for Fair Trade Certified™ varieties. Fair Trade provides a fair, minimum price to coffee farmers for their beans, resulting in higher quality coffee, and a higher quality of life in coffee-farming communities.
What would Bostonians Trade Out for Their Coffee?
When faced with the choice of losing their daily cup of coffee, Boston-area coffee drinkers would trade out most anything to keep it, including their car (23%), mobile phone (52%), and their pet (34%). What else would Bostonians trade out to keep their coffee?
About the same percentage of Bostonians would “absolutely” rat out Whitey Bulger (28%) as would talk Tom Brady into cutting his new flowing locks of hair (26%). Just as many Boston-area residents (1 in 3) would opt to pick up someone at Logan Airport every week for a month as would party with Deval Patrick. And when it comes to bravery, almost the same number of Bostonians (44%) would keep open the option of either fighting Bruins’ would-be pugilist Shawn Thornton or swimming across the Charles River before giving up their coffee. Overall, Boston men would go to greater lengths than women to keep their coffee:
So much for man’s best friend! Nearly twice as many men (41%) as women (25%) would trade out their pet before giving up their coffee. Baby, You Can Drive My Car: More men (25%) than women (19%) would trade out their car to keep their coffee. What would women do?: The one thing women would do more than men when it comes to keeping their coffee is volunteer at a non-profit for a month, with more than half of women (56%) willing to volunteer vs. 1 in 3 men (34%). FREE Green Mountain Coffee for Bostonians for Fair Trade Month in October
Conducted shortly after Boston became a Fair Trade Town in September, The Fair Trade-Out Survey is part of a campaign to encourage Boston-area residents to trade out their usual cup of coffee for Green Mountain Coffee’s Fair Trade Certified blends.
“The Fair Trade-Out Survey is a fun way to remind people that coffee is more than just a part of a daily routine,” said Sandy Yusen, Director of Public Relations, Specialty Coffee Business Unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. “The choices we make about what’s in our cup have the power to improve the lives of coffee farmers and their families all over the world.”
Green Mountain Coffee’s guerilla sampling teams will be distributing free Fair Trade coffee samples throughout the city October 13 through 15. Coffee lovers can also get a free sample of Green Mountain Coffee while samples last by visiting http://www. facebook. com/greenmountaincoffee. Visitors to the page can RSVP for a live, guided online tasting taking place on October 26, 2010 at 4:00 p. m. ET.
The Fair Trade-Out Survey underscores the opportunity to promote better understanding of the benefits of Fair Trade. Currently, only 1 in 8 (13%) Bostonians regularly buy Fair Trade Certified products – that’s just one-third of those who regularly buy local products (38%). The survey suggests that this may be due to lack of education on what Fair Trade means:
2 in 3 (68%) Bostonians stated that they did not fully understand what Fair Trade means, and 1 in 3 (30%) admitted they had no idea. Even when given options, less than half (48%) could identify the definition of Fair Trade. However, after reading an explanation of the meaning of Fair Trade, 3 in 4 (76%) Bostonians were likely to purchase Fair Trade Certified products in the future. When it comes to paying a premium for Fair Trade products, 26% of those surveyed agreed that they would be willing to pay 5% to 10% more.
Boston’s Coffee Culture
When it comes to a “regular” coffee, Bostonians have a much different view than the rest of the country. In Boston, a “regular” most often contains cream and one or two sugars (48%), where nationally 57% feel a “regular” is served black.
There’s no such thing as an occasional coffee drinker: 78% of Boston-area respondents drink coffee every day. Only 1 in 10 (10%) drinks coffee less than 5 days per week. And when Bostonians indulge, they really indulge: only 1 in 4 respondents (27%) stop at one cup of coffee per day. In fact, 1 in 5 (17%) drinks four or more cups daily! Make mine black: 27% of respondents nationally take their coffee black, while only 18% of Bostonians enjoy the brew in its purest form. Men are more likely to take their coffee black than women (22% vs. 14%). Half and half is the most popular coffee lightener: One in four (23%) Bostonians prefer half & half over flavored creamer (13%), and whole milk and cream (both 11%). Most popular place to drink coffee? An overwhelming 76% drink coffee at home, followed by the office at 12%. On average, men drink more coffee than women. Boston men drink 2.4 cups per day; women drink 2.2 cups per day. When it comes to heavy coffee drinkers, only 1 in 8 women (13%) surveyed drink 4 or more cups per day, compared to 1 in 5 men (21%) who fill up 4 or more times throughout the day. Bostonians are sweeter: More than half of Boston respondents (67%) use sugar or sweetener.
Green Mountain Coffee is part of the Specialty Coffee Business Unit of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR), and is a leader in Fair Trade coffee.
About The Survey
The national and regional surveys were developed by Green Mountain Coffee and conducted by Toluna in Wilton, CT. Toluna surveyed by email 250 adults. Interviews were weighted by variables including age, gender, and geography to ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total adult population. Interviews were conducted between Sept. 30 – Oct. 8, 2010.
About Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR)
As a leader in the specialty coffee industry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. is recognized for its award-winning coffees, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. GMCR’s operations are managed through two business units. The Specialty Coffee business unit produces coffee, tea and hot cocoa from its family of brands, including Tully’s Coffee®, Green Mountain Coffee®, Newman’s Own® Organics coffee, Timothy’s World Coffee® and Diedrich®, Coffee People® and Gloria Jeans®, a trademark licensed to the Company for use in North America and owned by Gloria Jeans Coffees International Pty. Ltd. The Keurig business unit is a pioneer and leading manufacturer of gourmet single-cup brewing systems. K-Cup® portion packs for Keurig® Single-Cup Brewers are produced by a variety of roasters, including Green Mountain Coffee, Tully’s, Timothy’s and Diedrich. GMCR supports local and global communities by offsetting 100% of its direct greenhouse gas emissions, investing in Fair Trade Certified™ coffee, and donating at least five percent of its pre-tax profits to social and environmental projects. Visit http://www. gmcr. com for more information.
GMCR routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Services section of its web site, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC. The Company encourages investors to consult this section of its web site regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to the Company’s email alerts, individuals can receive news directly from GMCR as it is released.
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