Known and appreciated for its ability to innovate without losing any of its local brand identity, the historic Reunion roaster is now seen as the coffee expert in Reunion, present in all segments. In support, surprising new features, offensive marketing and a modernized industrial tool. Or how a quasi-artisanal company turns its small size into a strength to stand up to the giants of the coffee market.
Started six years ago, the renovation of the Reunion brand Café le lion has entered a new phase under the leadership of Gérard Gillet, director of the company for a year. A profound rejuvenation of the brand is underway. Rejuvenation which is based on the lessons of an in-depth study of the local coffee market which allows Café le lion to adapt its offer, to strengthen herself where she was already strong, to know about the ground, and to design new products where it is not or not sufficiently in the race. “Today we have a very clear vision of the market and the future of the brand. We are carrying out in-depth work to move upmarket and be present in all segments while guaranteeing the quality of our products” explains Gérard Gillet.
To do this, in addition to its close link with Reunion Island and its roasting know-how, Café le lion focuses on the strengths of “inventiveness, creativity, commitment and team spirit” declares Gérard Gillet. The small team – there are 12 of them – is unapologetic about the coffee giants : she is teeming with projects and has already shown what she can do. The Café le lion poster campaign which started this month is a new example.. By giving voice to real customers, young and old, this campaign summarizes the brand's strategy : meet all needs. The floodgates of imagination are wide open at Café le lion, still number one locally, with 20% market share thanks to ground, but who, faced with enormous pressure from multinationals (Nestlé, GOES, Lavazza, etc.), must reinvent itself and, somehow, counterattack. So, homemade, brought up to date by the pandemic and confinement, gives new letters of nobility to coffee beans. Response from the lion : the launch in 2021 of a complete range of roasted beans, including a short range of world grain, all in the purest Reunion tradition ! Range which has increased the number of Café le Lion references to nearly 40 today, all segments combined. More anecdotal in appearance, initiatives such as the Mafate Café collection or the lion coffee ice cream from Maison GAC, contribute to making the brand known differently. And it’s now the turn of even more spectacular new products to see the light of day. The secrecy weighs in particular on a launch planned for 2022 on the pre-dosed market, where the lion does not hide, on the other hand, its ambition to compete with the biggest brands.
Geranium lion coffee
The first sensation takes place at the end of October or beginning of November. Renovating the tradition of its vanilla coffee, Café le lion created an event with ground geranium coffee ! The first of its kind. To the base, the same historical ground, namely the traditional lion café (blend of robusta and arabica). The recipe exploits the fragrant sweetness of rose geranium. For this surprising innovation, Café le lion partners with Labyrinthe En Champ Thé de Grand Coude. The surprise also comes from the superb decoration of the bag : here again, never seen. Flowers on white background, the geranium coffee sachet is reminiscent of a certain Japanese spirit. This is a real qualitative and creative leap for Café le lion which clearly confirms its desire to renew its image..
More and more food to grind
Coffee consumption continues to increase in Reunion in all segments depending on the generations. A taste for Robusta, characteristic of the island, stay very strong, including young people. Major trends in coffee consumption intersect with local specificities. “By simplifying, the ground, this is the market before. Capsules and pods, this is today's market. Roasted grain, it’s the market of tomorrow” summarizes Lucas Laravine, marketing and sales manager. Nine roasted grain references: five numbers in 2 different formats 250g and 1kg, from pure robusta to pure arabica through blends, plus four Origine Monde coffee beans. To those who were surprised to see Café le lion invest so much in this segment, here is the explanation. Still limited, the roasted beans segment experiences double-digit annual growth. Everything speaks for the grain : he embodies the return to nature, the taste of fresh coffee, it is the least processed and most ecological coffee (no plastic and less aluminum). The prices of grinding machines make them an investment that is increasingly accessible to the greatest number of people.. Finally, beans allow coffee lovers to make their own blends. Grain sales are also on the rise in CHR, which reinforces Café le lion’s strategy. Note the crossover with the organic range : organic ground, organic ground vanilla and organic roasted grain and the 1kg format launched this year. So, while consolidating its number one position in ground (with new family formats), Café le lion has already become the de facto expert in the beans segment, while waiting for the offensive on pre-dosed.
Marketing objective : better availability and visibility on shelves
In terms of design, the upcoming arrival of geranium coffee will confirm that the lion visuals are the most unique and creative in the department. Thus the careful aesthetic of roasted bean packaging which contrasts with the usual codes of coffee. Café le lion also promises a new design for future pre-dosed products which will be put on the market in 2022. “The packages please, challenge and attract the eye” welcomes Lucas Laravine, architect of the brand marketing overhaul. But to gain more visibility on the shelves, another initiative is currently proving its worth : linear boxes, that is to say a marking securing the linear share and further distinguishing the lion's products. In the first stores to have tested it, many consumers are discovering in particular the lion capsules and pods offering ! Enough to prepare the ground for the 2022 project in this segment…
Industrial investment secures deliveries
In August, Le Lion commissioned a new automated bagging machine for its numerous ground coffee references.. It changes the life of the production team and will make it possible to build up larger stocks which secure the supply of Café le Lion customers.. “This tool replaces two old machines that have become obsolete. With a maximum capacity of 60 packets per minute, it is faster and packages both 250 g and 500 g formats” explains Anaik de Villecourt, production manager. At term, grain packets, today filled manually, will follow the same bagging path and other formats may also be innovated. Securing deliveries is all the more welcome in the current period, where coffee sourcing is complicated by increases in coffee prices and freight costs. Celine Caron, procurement and sales manager, testifies : « Roasted in Reunion, our robusta and arabica come mainly from Cameroon, you Vietnam, Columbia, from Brazil, from Honduras and a little Ethiopia. We import green beans in full 20’ containers filled with 20 tonnes of coffee. To ensure our supplies, Today we have to anticipate orders six months in advance. » The lion is always ready to roar !
Oliver Soufflet
