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Beauty and the Beans

March 31, 2014

Maxim’s Yuna Coffee, Namyang’s Tae-hee Coffee, Cafe Bene’s Han Ye-seul Coffee…
Korean coffee mix makers are relying on female star power to beat the competition

Cafe Bene has released “Han Ye-seul Coffee,” left, to compete with Namyang’s “Tae-hee Coffee,” and Maxim’s “Yuna Coffee.”

Namyang has done very well with “Tae-hee coffee.”

By Park Ji-hye

If you have to buy coffee, you might as well pick up the one endorsed by your favorite female star.

It’s the marketing strategy Korean companies are using to bring in sales for the increasingly popular mix coffee, which can be found at most Korean markets around the U.S.

Maxim’s got “Yuna Coffee,” after figure skating queen Kim Yuna, while Namyang French Cafe has “Tae-hee Coffee” fronted by popular actress Kim Tae-hee. Now, Cafe Bene has released “Han Ye-seul Coffee.”

The “Bene Sticks” appeared on the shelves of Koreatown’s Galleria Market priced at $9.99 on March 27, about $5 cheaper than its competitors’ prices.

Cafe Bene’s coffee is priced lower because it is co-produced by Korean chain market Home Plus and because it uses Brazilian arabica coffee beans rather than the standard robusta beans found in most mix coffees.

Mix coffee prices saw an increase of $2 to $3 last winter and have not been less than $10 since, a market spokesman said.

The spokesman said the coffee has been well-received by customers who are driven by the brand’s name, price and curiosity. It’s also popular among those gaining interest in mix coffee for the first time.

“Mix coffee has become a must-have shopping item among people of all races who come to the market,” said John Yoon, manager of Galleria Market Valley.

About six to seven additional brands are also on the shelves, with categories widening to include iced coffee and flavors such as Americano.