✿
hailey fitzgerald / strategist ☆
✿
entry no. 3.
Peet's
This project introduced a new character inspired by the brand’s big personality and the stories behind it.
My Baristas: Marrissa Price (CW), Malcolm Rose (XD) ☕
~~~>
✦
The Brief
PROBLEM: Peet’s pioneered real coffee, but struggled to stand out in a crowded market driven by novelty and innovation.
INSIGHT: Coffee might be the most intimate relationship of your life.
STRATEGY: Peet's is your ultimate companion.
My Spark
As someone who hates coffee with a burning passion, it was fascinating to discover why others love it so deeply.
We started by getting to know the coffee category and the product itself, which meant I had some extra homework to do as someone who doesn't buy coffee.
Research Methods
1:1 Interviews
Sat down with devoted coffee lovers who pass on frappucinos—grabbed their honest reactions.
Secondary Market Research
Pulled key trends and competitor intel from Wiley, MRI Simmons and Mintel reports to better understand the beverage category.
Retail Shelf Audit
Checked grocery aisles to spot where Peet’s cuts through the clutter.
Location Immersion
Visited Peet’s stores to experience the brand’s authenticity firsthand and explore how it comes to life in its retail spaces versus its packaged products.
Where Peet's Stands
✿ ☆ the shelf check ☆ ✿
Peet’s sits on the shelf with something better, but you wouldn’t know it at a glance.
★
What Makes Peet's Different?
6–8 wks
Average Roast Time for Packaged Coffee
Peet’s actually taught Starbucks’ founders how to roast coffee. They’ve always taken freshness seriously, and today, they still roast to order.
Did you know?!? ↓
2–3 wks
Peet's Roast Time for Packaged Coffee:
↑ fresher by weeks! ♡
Coffee Retail Competitive Analysis
Peet's Presence
✿ small retail presence, roasted to order ✿
Everyone else
~ crowded market & novel products~
vs
THE CHALLENGE
Peet’s pioneered real coffee, but struggles to stand out in a crowded market driven by novelty and innovation.
I started with retail, but the real difference is the product. Peet’s roasts to order for unmatched freshness. The opportunity isn’t to change it, but to make that impossible to miss.
HOW?!
✿ ☆ the good news ☆ ✿
How Coffee Shows Up in the World
☕
coffeetalk
A good cup of coffee means more to people than they might realize.
★
"Drinking coffee is a really nice ritual when I’m working at home, especially. It’s just something that I get to do at the start of my day that gets me fully ready in the space that I’m in."
-coffee lover 1
"Having a cup of coffee that I can just keep refilling on my own is a nice treat for me. It keeps me occupied and it also keeps me focused on a lot of ways and it’s turned into a bit of a comfort object in a way."
-coffee lover 2
THE INSIGHT
Coffee might be the most intimate relationship of your life.
WHY ?!
For many, it’s the first thing they think about in the morning and the last thing before they fall asleep. Good coffee is always there to pick you up when you’re down, giving you a pep talk, or a moment of peace.
THE FINDING
~~~>
✦
♡ that’s almost half of shoppers! ♡
2/5 of consumers say personality matters when it comes to making a purchase.
★
For Peet’s, that personality comes from the care it already puts into its coffee. Thoughtful about quality, serious about freshness, and there for you every day
☕ ~ xo
↳
STRATEGY
Peet's is your ultimate companion.
HOW?!
Peet's brings the idea of their coffee as a steady, everyday presence to life through a consistent personality people can recognize.One that feels calm, reliable, and always there when you need it.
MEET PEET
~~~>
✦
He’s the embodiment of that feeling you get when you wrap your hands around your perfect cup of coffee: grounded, cared for, restored.
✦ ✧
☕
✦
SOCIAL POSTS
~~~>
We’ll introduce Peet on social as more than a brand. Peets shows up when you need it most.
☕
↑ cozy, casual & always there ♡
✦ ✧
✦
HOW IT SCALES
~~~>
We’ll introduce the Peet Mobile: a coffee truck that shows up where it’s needed most.
★
Driven by Peet himself, it brings fresh coffee directly to moments and places that need it most, turning everyday lows into something worth showing up for.
☕ beep beep! coffee’s here ♡
✦
PRODUCT INNOVATION
~~~>
To reinforce Peet’s commitment to freshness, we’ll bring that promise directly onto the packaging with a Peet’s Stamp of Approval, signaling to consumers that their coffee is truly fresh, while helping the brand stand out on the shelf.
✿ fresh & approved ✿
☕
↑ fresher, wherever you are ✦ ✧
What I Learned
★
This project pushed me to clearly define my strategy, showing how Peet can show up for people as reliably and consistently as its coffee does.
← back to my work