- “Authenticity” was 2023’s word of the year from Merriam-Webster and Oxford
- Many in specialty coffee are now overlooking quality for authenticity or nostalgia
- With 52% of US Americans saying they see AI as a “serious threat”, these qualities may become even more valuable
AUTHENTICITY and nostalgia are now essential for brands building loyalty among budget-conscious consumers. More than ever, these qualities can even overshadow the traditional focus on objective quality.
In a world increasingly driven by algorithmic recommendations and digital convenience, authenticity offers a rare promise of something genuine – real people, places, and stories behind each product.
It taps into a longing for human connection and tradition, appealing to consumers who crave more than just a transactional relationship with their coffee.
With romanticised depictions of “authentic” coffee origins and traditional brewing methods, or nostalgic collaborations like Onyx Coffee Lab’s Peanuts-branded mugs and bags, brands are tapping into a growing consumer desire for experiences that evoke heritage, a sense of place, and genuine craft – not just quality alone.
Through these storytelling elements, brands offer a kind of travel through taste, where consumers feel momentarily transported to a faraway coffee farm or a simpler, bygone era.
Specialty coffee brands often cultivate authenticity by showcasing imagery rooted in a coffee’s origin – hand-picked cherries, mountain-grown coffee trees, and farmers at work. Brands like Café Corazón, drawing on their Latinx heritage, enhance this authenticity by offering traditional drinks like Café de Olla or Café Cubano, drawing in customers with cultural touchstones and flavours that are as much about identity as they are about the coffee itself.
This approach speaks to a desire for something that feels deeply connected to its origins and the people who produce it.
And take the example of the classic Italian espresso bar – how many specialty coffee people have knowingly set aside their values on quality to engage in this tradition? It’s an experience steeped in history, where the allure of standing at a crowded counter and sipping an espresso, as Italians have done for decades, feels just as rewarding as any high-grade coffee.
Similarly, American specialty coffee consumers have nostalgic attachments to bottomless mugs at American diners – the antithesis of modern specialty standards, but comfortingly familiar.
This focus on authenticity is geared towards providing an immersive experience, placing the consumer closer to what it feels like to possibly be part of a local heritage, even if the final product might seem to depart from strictly high-scoring coffees.
Ironically, many professionals and prosumers who embrace these experiences are the same who, under other circumstances, insist on top-tier quality. The emotional resonance of tradition and nostalgia often justifies bypassing their own high expectations of quality.
The psychology of authenticity and nostalgia in coffee
Many specialty coffee consumers could be described as, “cultural omnivores.” Sociologist Richard A. Peterson introduced the concept to describe a shift in cultural consumption patterns.
Traditionally, consumption was seen as divided along class lines: the elite gravitated toward exclusive “highbrow” culture – classical music, vintage wines, and fine art – while the lower classes leaned towards industrialised, mass-produced “lowbrow” culture, including pop music, boxed wine, and kitschy art.
This rigid dichotomy no longer accurately describes the tastes of modern consumers, as Peterson suggests that certain experiences are instead genuine or authentic.
Authenticity serves as a counterbalance to mass production and industrialisation. In specialty coffee, this has culminated in the “third wave” movement, which distinguishes itself through craft and small-scale production. Its emphasis on artisanship appeals to consumers’ desire for something “real” – a product created by human hands, not machines.
As the world feels uncertain, nostalgia – originally coined as a synonym for homesickness – has become a powerful tool for brands. By evoking memories of simpler times, brands tap into consumers’ longing for familiarity, fostering an emotional connection that often outweighs the drive for novelty or even superior quality.
Coffee buyers visiting farms in Ethiopia drinking jebena coffee with coffee farmers, or the Greek coffee professional enjoying an ibrik coffee in a small Greek seaside village, are not necessarily seeking high-quality brews – they are looking to immerse themselves in authentic, local experiences.
In Good Coffee, Bad Coffee: The Curious Tastes of Cultural Omnivores, researchers reveal that French consumers who enjoy specialty coffee won’t turn up their noses at cheap Parisian coffee – they’re seeking something beyond just the beverage itself.
“For them, the traditional café is still a space to enjoy the culture that surrounds it. A space to get a shot of energy and spend time with friends, colleagues and family. Although omnivores can have a lot of enthusiasm for ‘highbrow’ coffee, they keep appreciating the energising and socialising experience of ‘lowbrow’ coffee,” reads the publication.
“I don’t think specialty coffee consumers are settling,” says Alessandro Gerosa, Researcher in Cultural Sociology at the University of Milan.
“They’re re-defining the criteria to judge what ‘quality’ means in coffee consumption. This new idea of quality is based less on classical criteria, and is more aligned with the new urban middle class from both a cultural and monetary viewpoint.”
Authenticity offers a way to embrace what feels genuine and unmanufactured, often leading even quality-focused consumers to set aside their usual standards.
As AI scales, authenticity and nostalgia become more prized
Specialty’s exponential growth is a testament to consumers’ willingness to move to craft as an antidote to the manufactured world.
But as the specialty coffee sector adopts new technology like AI, will the values of authenticity and nostalgia continue to be the counterbalance?
According to Ogilvy, 77% of businesses are already adopting AI. This new wave of AI-driven automation marks the latest industrial revolution, reshaping the coffee industry by automating tasks from green coffee sorting and quality control to roasting and even brewing.
These roles, traditionally held by skilled workers, have been a defining feature of the specialty coffee sector – now increasingly influenced by technology.
Coffee companies are embracing AI to boost efficiency and productivity. However, this wave of industrial automation poses a potential challenge to the ethos of specialty coffee, which is fundamentally rooted in human connection and local craftsmanship.
According to the Harvard Business Review, consumer trust in AI remains low: only 28% of Americans say they trust companies using AI models with their customers, while 46% express distrust. Moreover, over half (52%) believe “AI poses a serious threat to society.”
Even minor technological shifts can cast doubt on a brand’s “genuineness,” making it increasingly vital for companies to foster authentic experiences.
“I think current technological advancements are potentially further growing the desire to feel authentic consumer experiences,” says Alessandro.
In 2023, it’s no surprise that Merriam-Webster and Oxford University Press selected “authentic” and “rizz” as their respective words of the year. Reid Litman, Global Director at Ogilvy Consulting, remarked in an article on the topic that “as generative AI makes experimenting and reacting to trends so much faster and easier, it’s more important than ever to, dare I say, be authentic.”
Brands that understand and embody authenticity hold a distinct edge in a market where authenticity is increasingly synonymous with trustworthiness.
With AI blurring the lines between mass produced uniformity throughout the coffee supply chain and human-centred craft, brands that lean into experiences of what is true to them and the consumers they serve will strengthen their market share.
“Offering ‘authentic experiences’ has already become the new form,” says Alessandro.
“Specialty coffee brands will need to raise their game in order to keep their credibility in consumers’ eyes, finding new ways to demonstrate their commitment and keep differentiating themselves from competitors.”
Consumers are eager for experiences that provide a sense of what’s real from what’s fake.
Coffee quality alone won’t cut it anymore. Authenticity and nostalgia are becoming essential pillars of a brand’s identity, anchoring coffee culture as it decides how to adapt to a digitally driven future.
Coffee Intelligence
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