"Good to the last...flop"

In today's busy and demanding world many find that they cant possibly go on with their daily schedules without a fresh and tasty cup of Joe. There are tons of coffee vendors out in the world, and even more in-home coffee brands to choose from. Among one of those well known in home coffee brands is Maxwell, coffee that is "good to the last drop!" Almost a decade ago Maxwell coffee producers tried to get a step ahead and bring an easier,faster way for consumers to drink their coffee.


As if instant home made coffee isn't fast enough! Maxwell coffee created "Ready to drink coffee" Maxwell was already a successful coffee brand so they had a little bit of room to explore throughout their line of products. This coffee which was introduced to coffee enthusiasts in 1990 and was marketed as a more convenient way for a hot cup of coffee. The literal failure of the product was that the container that it came from was not microwavable. Not to mention that the container that held the "ready to drink" coffee was a 48 oz. portion. So what it came down to was consumers pouring the coffee out of the carton into a mug then microwaving it anyway. Many people found no distinct difference between that and pouring themselves a cup of coffee straight from their coffee pots. What Maxwell coffee brought to consumers was a new item, but no new convenience was introduced at all. The product itself was a bit redundant.
Something that contributed to the set back of this product was it's packaging and placement in the grocery store. The box that it came in had a promising image of a steamy hot cup of coffee, yet the box itself would have been placed right next to cold beverages in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. I personally think it would catch me off guard if I saw a product claiming to be piping hot...in the refrigerated section. I'm always skeptical when it comes to new products claiming to make things easier or more convenient. I honestly don't think that pouring cold coffee into a mug and microwaving it shaves of any time or effort from turning on my coffee pot.
On the other hand though, I think Maxwell could have had a successful product in their "Ready to Drink" coffee if they changed their direction. Not everyone likes to drink hot coffee. Iced coffee is a very popular beverage. It gives people the caffeine boost they want but enables them to drink it anytime of their busy day. Ready to drink cold coffee allows consumers to enjoy cold coffee at home without having to worry about their drink becoming watered down by ice cubes. In actuality all Maxwell had to do was change the way they marketed their product. They could have included an image of a tall cold refreshing glass of iced coffee. Or they could have even marketed it in both directions. Instead of printing "enjoy hot" on their package they could have written "refreshing hot or cold". Then it would be in the hands of the consumers do decide how they wanted to drink their coffee. At least they would understand its versatility.