A new coffee tradition in US.

Lavazza.

The Challenge

Despite being a European leader, Lavazza was a well-kept secret in the U.S. market. With low brand awareness, limited household penetration, and a fragmented customer experience, the brand risked losing momentum in a competitive and fast-evolving coffee landscape.

Consumers found Lavazza hard to recognize and even harder to access. Meanwhile, the brand’s B2C and B2B channels operated in silos, resulting in disconnected and inconsistent experiences. Internally, the absence of a unified digital ecosystem hindered both customer engagement and data-driven growth.

Craft a compelling reason for U.S. consumers to care about Lavazza and create a roadmap for how the brand could stand out in a crowded market.

My role

As Project Lead, I led the experience strategy and hands-on design, guiding the project from research to implementation planning.


Team & Scope

Disciplines:
Experience Strategy & Design, Business Design, Data Science, Product Management, Engineering.

Key Deliverables:
Market audit, value proposition framework, consumer validation survey, experience strategy, implementation roadmap.

Client headquarters:
Italy

Key findings

From Stakeholders:

  • Strong brand equity exists among those familiar with Lavazza, supported by high-end art, culture, and fine-dining partnerships.

  • B2C and B2B channels operate in silos, leading to disjointed consumer interactions.

  • Digital usability and content gaps limit customer engagement and brand discovery.

From Consumers:

  • Sustainability Matters
    US consumers expect ethical practices and see Lavazza as capable of making a positive impact.

  • Taste Transformation Resonates
    Consumers appreciated Lavazza’s expertise and were drawn to innovative, shareable tasting experiences that introduced them to new coffee cultures.

Solution
A strategy for differentiation & growth

We developed a targeted experience strategy focused on two key value propositions:

1. Sustainability Leadership

Lavazza would reinforce its reputation as a leader in ethical coffee sourcing, leveraging its sustainability initiatives to align with growing consumer expectations for responsible brands.

2. Taste Transformation

More than just coffee, Lavazza would become an experience—offering educational and immersive tasting opportunities that made coffee discovery more engaging and shareable.

Turning vision into action

Our research identified three core consumer groups, each with distinct behaviors:

  1. Conscious Consumers – Prioritize sustainability and ethical sourcing.

  2. Creative Connoisseurs – Seek new, unique tasting experiences.

  3. Pioneering Explorers – Curious about European coffee culture and open to brand discovery.

We mapped out consumer phases from initial engagement to brand loyalty, ensuring a seamless experience across digital and physical touchpoints.

Enhanced Digital Presence

Usability and content improvements to better connect with US consumers.

Connected Ecosystem

Unified data collection and customer insights, integrating B2C and B2B for a cohesive brand experience.

Omnichannel Strategy

Ensured Lavazza’s digital, retail, and hospitality touchpoints worked together, creating a consistent customer journey.

Outcome & Impact

Lavazza’s leadership fully embraced the vision, recognizing the need for a unified, consumer-driven strategy to succeed in the US market. The project led to stronger internal alignment, reinforcing the importance of an integrated digital ecosystem to create a cohesive brand experience across B2C and B2B channels.

Key outcomes included:

Executive Buy-In

Leadership committed to the roadmap, prioritizing a more connected, consumer-focused brand presence.

Strategic Growth Opportunities

Business impact analysis identified high-value market opportunities, guiding investment decisions.

Phased Rollout Plan

A scalable, structured implementation strategy was approved to ensure long-term brand growth in the US.