15
Nov
Consume of the Day: 7-11 Coffee (aka Energy Nectar of the Gods). I’ve always had a soft spot for 7-11. Sure, it doesn’t have the epileptic, flashy WALL-E style future motif of Sheetz. It doesn’t inspire the fervent hometown passion of Wawa (Fact: Wawa has provided out-of-state college students from Jersey with over 500,000 hours of first-week-of-the-semester bonding conversation). The staff isn’t forced to yell “See you next time!” when you leave like they do at Quiktrip. BUT— I grew up with 7-11 as my regional convenience store of choice, and the affection has stayed with me. In recent years, though, I’ve come to discover that 7-11 truly has something the other chains don’t: the best roadside coffee known to man. Things I love about 7-11 coffee: Flavors that taste like flavors. You can actually taste the hazelnut in their hazelnut brew without adding in gross syrups or un-refrigerated mini-cups of flavored creamer. They have a chocolate raspberry brew that, even without milk or sugar, tastes better than any fancy mocha-full-whip-half-caf-machiccino Starbucks can make you for $5.89 a pop. Taste always wins, and 7-11 wins. It’s cheap. At the 7-11 near my apartment an extra large coffee costs exactly $2, and will last you all morning. That’s a damn good deal, end of story. “The brew is strong in this one.” 7-11 coffee is a force to be reckoned with. It’s not necessarily on the level of the jet fuel you might custom brew at home for an all-nighter (although they do have an “energy fusion” flavor that features the same herbal wakey-wakeys found in energy drinks), but it’s stronger than your average cup of watery convenience store sludge. You can be a coffee chemist. You get to pour your own coffee from all the flavors 7-11 offers, so the possibilities for experimentation are endless. My personal go-to brew? Fill the cup 3/4 with the french vanilla roast, then top it off with a few hits from the automatic cappuccino dispenser. Add nothing else. It’s a little creamy and a little sweet with the same kick as a standard cup. Note: I have recently amended my current go-to to include the seasonal pumpkin spice flavors. My god are they good. It’s like Charlie Brown summoned the Great Pumpkin himself to come and personally infuse my beverage with his gourdy goodness each morning. Chuck, you glorious blockhead. I can’t explain why 7-11’s coffee stirs such feelings within me. They don’t go overboard in advertising it, and when they do they pretty much just hype up the fact that it’s a good value. I’ve never seen the brand hold taste tests or make claims on how 7-11’s coffee stands up against competitors’. Surely brands can’t inspire passion in their people without a concerted effort, so why do I love it so much? I sort of discovered 7-11 coffee on my own. Once I found out I liked it, I would get some whenever I had a chance. Eventually, I began making trips to 7-11 specifically for coffee. Then I started telling others about it, as my recently-indoctrinated friend Vibha can attest. Now I’m writing about it on here. And they never even asked me to! My affinity for the brand grew completely organically, without 7-11 forcing it in any way. They provide me with a great product at a great value, every single time I go there. It takes hard work, commitment to quality, and flawless consistency in delivery… but that is truly how one inspires brand loyalty. It’s the oldest, ultimate, purest form of branding, and it will never be unseated or replaced. Damn I want some coffee. 30-Day Challenge #11

Consume of the Day: 7-11 Coffee (aka Energy Nectar of the Gods).

I’ve always had a soft spot for 7-11. Sure, it doesn’t have the epileptic, flashy WALL-E style future motif of Sheetz. It doesn’t inspire the fervent hometown passion of Wawa (Fact: Wawa has provided out-of-state college students from Jersey with over 500,000 hours of first-week-of-the-semester bonding conversation). The staff isn’t forced to yell “See you next time!” when you leave like they do at Quiktrip.

BUT— I grew up with 7-11 as my regional convenience store of choice, and the affection has stayed with me. In recent years, though, I’ve come to discover that 7-11 truly has something the other chains don’t: the best roadside coffee known to man.

Things I love about 7-11 coffee:

  • Flavors that taste like flavors. You can actually taste the hazelnut in their hazelnut brew without adding in gross syrups or un-refrigerated mini-cups of flavored creamer. They have a chocolate raspberry brew that, even without milk or sugar, tastes better than any fancy mocha-full-whip-half-caf-machiccino Starbucks can make you for $5.89 a pop. Taste always wins, and 7-11 wins.
  • It’s cheap. At the 7-11 near my apartment an extra large coffee costs exactly $2, and will last you all morning. That’s a damn good deal, end of story.
  • “The brew is strong in this one.” 7-11 coffee is a force to be reckoned with. It’s not necessarily on the level of the jet fuel you might custom brew at home for an all-nighter (although they do have an “energy fusion” flavor that features the same herbal wakey-wakeys found in energy drinks), but it’s stronger than your average cup of watery convenience store sludge.
  • You can be a coffee chemist. You get to pour your own coffee from all the flavors 7-11 offers, so the possibilities for experimentation are endless. My personal go-to brew? Fill the cup 3/4 with the french vanilla roast, then top it off with a few hits from the automatic cappuccino dispenser. Add nothing else. It’s a little creamy and a little sweet with the same kick as a standard cup. Note: I have recently amended my current go-to to include the seasonal pumpkin spice flavors. My god are they good. It’s like Charlie Brown summoned the Great Pumpkin himself to come and personally infuse my beverage with his gourdy goodness each morning. Chuck, you glorious blockhead.

I can’t explain why 7-11’s coffee stirs such feelings within me. They don’t go overboard in advertising it, and when they do they pretty much just hype up the fact that it’s a good value. I’ve never seen the brand hold taste tests or make claims on how 7-11’s coffee stands up against competitors’. Surely brands can’t inspire passion in their people without a concerted effort, so why do I love it so much?

I sort of discovered 7-11 coffee on my own. Once I found out I liked it, I would get some whenever I had a chance. Eventually, I began making trips to 7-11 specifically for coffee. Then I started telling others about it, as my recently-indoctrinated friend Vibha can attest. Now I’m writing about it on here. And they never even asked me to!

My affinity for the brand grew completely organically, without 7-11 forcing it in any way. They provide me with a great product at a great value, every single time I go there. It takes hard work, commitment to quality, and flawless consistency in delivery… but that is truly how one inspires brand loyalty. It’s the oldest, ultimate, purest form of branding, and it will never be unseated or replaced.

Damn I want some coffee.

30-Day Challenge #11

6 notes coffee / 7-11 / branding / brand / loyalty / marketing /

6 Notes on this post

  1. gregfitz posted this
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