Análise qualitativa exploratória de cafés especiais, com enfoque no café gelado, utilizando a técnica grupo de foco

Abstract

This research is inserted in the context of the specialty coffee market, in particular of the iced coffee, aiming to analyze the factors that influence the consumption and investment of the product, to analyze the supply and to evaluate the expectation in relation to the iced coffee. To obtain the results, an exploratory qualitative analysis was performed using the focus group technique with six specialty coffee consumers. Questions were prepared on the topic for the moderator to guide the conversation that was recorded in order to further analyze the answers given in the session. Respondents attributed the fact that iced coffee is not yet widely consumed in Brazil by the prejudice that comes from the national tradition that coffee has to be consumed hot, in addition to the low supply of the product in the market. By consensus the focus group believes that future consumers will be people with higher purchasing power, as the product should be priced higher than specialty coffees and other cold drinks such as soda and energy, for example. And that, one should focus on marketing by pointing out the main characteristics of the drink, without relating it to hot coffee. It is concluded, therefore, that the Brazilian has a prejudice with the iced coffee because the traditional national coffee is served hot, but with modernity, the product should gain strength from those who seek a food ready to be consumed, healthy, with high quality, as the raw material used must be some special coffee and that offers pleasure to be consumed, and provide energy that is one of the main characteristics of the main ingredient, coffee. Thus, it was found that to become common and stay in the market must invest in product marketing, betting on the category of cold drinks such as soda, energy and juices, bet on the practicality and health that the product can offer.