Behind the Brand
Non-Fiction Coffee is shining the spotlight on its coffee growers, one cup at a time
Words by Paige Townley
Coffee is a time-honored tradition, one that requires great care and patience from its growers. Roasting the perfect cup of it is the culmination of the love and care put into each bean, and it’s a responsibility Non-Fiction Coffee doesn’t take lightly. In fact, the Birmingham-based specialty coffee company sees itself as an advocate of the coffee growers from whom they purchase. “We take the relationships we have with our coffee growers seriously and want to build long-term, sustainable relationships with them,” explains Jeff Daniels, the company’s director of sales. “That includes sharing their story with consumers to encourage them to feel a connection with them as well.”
To create that connection, Non-Fiction Coffee is centered around providing not only the perfect cup each and every time, but one that inspires intentionality and sincere thought about the coffee and its consumption. “This industry has mostly been focused around caffeine content and getting your fix to power through the day, but we want to change the focus of a cup of coffee,” Jeff says. “Let’s slow down and think about the hands that produced this product we’re so privileged to enjoy on a daily basis.”
Non-Fiction Coffee has been sharing the stories behind its brews since it started roasting in 2016, and with time, the company is getting evermore intentional. With the new motto of “coffee at its word,” the company underwent a rebrand just over a year ago. The main goal: better communicate its mission to consumers on a visual level. “We know where our hearts are, and we wanted to elevate our presence to the consumer to share it in a way that intentionally shows them what they’re getting with every bag of Non-Fiction Coffee,” adds Jeff.
Playing off the established literary theme, the updated branding includes numerous subtle but important details to convey the community behind the coffee. Incorporated in a minimal but intentional way, each bag includes the name of the producing farm and its region. “The branding is very simple and to the point, which is to hone in on the whole message of being real and meaning what you say and saying what you mean,” Jeff says. “We wanted just enough info on the bag to encourage the curiosity of the consumer for more info but not inundate them.”
Non-Fiction Coffee is fully prepared for the consumer’s curiosity to discover more with the rebrand of its website as well. The website includes a tab devoted to the stories of its growers, including a page on each specific farm. “What I hope when people are sitting and drinking their coffee is that they pull up the story of the coffee grower and learn more about them,” Jeff says. “It adds to the appreciation of that delicious cup of coffee.”
As consumers learn more about the people behind their perfect blends, Jeff and the entire team also hope that leads to furthering their goal of building upon their relationships with growers and maintaining a long-term, sustainable partnership that benefits everyone—especially the growers. “We want our customers to be able to enjoy their favorite coffees year after year, and we want to grow our relationships with the growers,” Jeff says. “No amount of success matters to us if it doesn’t result in us being able to add to the amount we purchase from the growers each year and be someone they can depend on. We want to be someone they can take at their word.”