Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op – Coffeehouse Division Marketing Plan

Description

Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-op – Coffeehouse Division Marketing Plan: Abstract

The Just Us! worker cooperative has been in business since the mid-1990s. Founded by Jeff and Debra Moore, this company with an economic and social mission has sought to make its mark in the business world by trumpeting its “humanitarian” positioning through the slogan: “People and the planet before profits”.

In addition to operating four coffeehouses (two in Halifax, one in Wolfville and one in its Grand-Pré headquarters), Just Us! sells its products (mainly fair trade and organic coffee, tea, chocolate and sugar) via a distribution network. Although the company was prospering, the financial crisis of fall 2008, which triggered an economic recession, quickly prompted the management committee to consider producing a marketing plan for the coming year, to optimize the use of the organization’s resources. Pauline, hired by Just Us! slightly more than two years earlier, was assigned this task. Her work at the co-op was so impressive that she had recently been promoted to director of marketing and sales.

Teaching objectives

• Better understand the field of restaurant management
• Propose a first annual marketing plan for this division of the company
• Perform an analysis of the situation of the four coffeehouses using quantitative and qualitative data
• Put oneself in the shoes of someone who has just been promoted and has to deal with a difficult economic environment, ambitious business targets and important decisions.

Main themes covered

• Presentation of fair trade
• Presentation of the company and its organizational structure
• Review of marketing activities from previous years
• Identification of constraints to future marketing plan
• Identification of the task to be carried out

Additional information

Also available in French.

Teaching notes are available for professors. Contact the HEC Montréal Case Centre.