Need to Know

US – In a significant shift from its nearly 40-year coffee legacy, Nespresso has introduced honey and honey syrup under its new Nespresso Bloom line. The launch marks the first time Nestlé’s Nespresso has ventured beyond its core coffee offerings, aligning with a growing consumer trend of using honey as a sweetener in coffee.

The honey is sourced from the same bees that pollinate coffee plants in Colombia, where Nespresso procures some of its beans. This innovative move not only supports sustainability, but also strengthens the brand’s commitment to regenerative agriculture. The launch taps into the rising popularity of honey, which, despite a recent dip, reached a record average consumption of 1.9 pounds per person in 2021, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Nespresso’s Bloom honey and honey syrup, with their floral flavour and caramel-vanilla notes, will make their debut in selected Nespresso boutiques in New York and San Francisco on 7 August. The products will be available nationwide through Nespresso’s website two weeks later, priced at £14 ($18, €16.50) per bottle. At present, these offerings are exclusive to the US market.

Nespresso’s diversification while remaining true to its sustainability commitment aligns with our findings in Brewing Coffee Futures, in which we explore how conscious consumers are pushing coffee brands to become greener.

US – Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, two of the world’s most influential pop icons, could have a significant impact on the voting choices of Generation Z in the upcoming 2024 US presidential election. According to a new poll conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek, 34% of Gen Z respondents indicated they would be ‘significantly more likely’ or ‘more likely’ to vote for a candidate endorsed by Swift, while an even higher 40% said the same for Beyoncé.

As many Gen Zers – those born between 1997 and 2012 – prepare to vote for the first time, their choices could be swayed by these cultural figures. The candidates include former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris, recently chosen as the Democratic nominee, along with other contenders such as Cornel West, Robert F Kennedy Jr, Jill Stein and Chase Oliver.

Although neither Swift nor Beyoncé has endorsed a candidate in this election cycle, their previous support for the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020 hints at the potential power of their influence in shaping the political landscape, especially among Gen Z.

For more insights on how US campaigners are re-inventing door-knocking and turning to a new kind of influential spokespeople, see our analysis of The Power of Precision Micro-Influencing.