Illycaffe, the Italian coffee producer, has rolled out an
international communications programme designed to reinforce its
position as a premier quality brand.
The Trieste-based company has called on its retained adviser in Italy,
Cohn and Wolfe, to co-ordinate media relations in five countries for a
series of arts sponsorship initiatives.
Cohn and Wolfe in Milan, London and New York together with
Burson-Marsteller in Paris and an as yet unnamed agency in Madrid will
support Illycaffe’s sponsorship of the Venice Biennale of contemporary
art between June and November. The company also plans to launch a
collection of espresso cups specially designed by artist Robert
Rauschenberg during a major exhibition of his work at the Guggenheim
Museum in New York in September.
The five PR agencies have been briefed to manage media relations for
both events and to reinforce Illycaffe’s association with the arts.
In addition, the agencies will also promote the company’s trademarked
system of espresso coffee preparation - Easy Serving Espresso (ESE).
Designed and patented by Illycaffe ten years ago, the system consists of
a specially modified espresso machine and pre-packaged servings of
coffee.
The company offers patent concessions for ESE free of charge to espresso
machine manufacturers and coffee producers and has briefed its PR
consultancies to help ensure that the system becomes a worldwide
industry standard.
Cohn and Wolfe account director Sissi Semprini, who is heading the
business in Italy, said that Illycaffe now ranked as one of the agency’s
largest international clients. ’Illycaffe is extremely active in
communication and sees it as a strategic function for the company,’ she
said.
