Nabob: Respect the bean

This case study describes the former #1 coffee brand in Canada, Nabob, and its return to market prominence by harnessing fashionable 21st century coffee culture.

Nabob: Respect the bean

Ogilvy & MatherKraft Canada

Situation analysis

Overall assessment

A falling star rises again

Once upon a time NABOB Coffee Co. (NABOB) was the #1 premium coffee brand in the country. Starting from humble roots in the Gastown neighbourhood of Vancouver in 1896, Nabob gradually spread across the country. Over the next century it grew to become a true Canadian coffee icon.

But those days were behind it.

Circa 2012 Nabob had fallen on hard times. Sales were in decline. Why? The coffee category had changed dramatically. New competitors were changing the definition of "premium" coffee,...

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