ROSEVILLE, Calif., Aug. 4, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Peabodys Coffee, Inc. (OTCBB:PBDY), owner of the USDA certified organic brand Black Rhino Coffee(tm), announced today it has engaged THOMAS/ferrous, Inc., a leading marketing and communications firm, to implement a comprehensive package re-design for its full line of products.
"Black Rhino Coffee(tm) is a pioneer in the distribution of organic coffee in the US retail grocery market," said Todd Tkachuk, President and CEO of Peabodys. "We believe that effective branding is about distinction in cluttered competitive markets, and we have now learned enough from our extensive customer base to be able to complement our genuinely distinctive product range with packaging that will support our brand positioning and boost sales."
For over two years, THOMAS/ferrous has excelled as a marketing resource for Black Rhino Coffee(tm) and was therefore a logical selection for this assignment according to Tkachuk. The principals of THOMAS/ferrous have served some of the world's most highly regarded companies, including Levi Strauss and Company, Apple Computer, Hewlett Packard, Wells Fargo, General Motors, Sprint, Kraft/General Foods, Frito-Lay and Sara Lee.
According to Packaged Facts, organic food sales totaled $11 billion in 2002 and continue to show an annual growth rate equal to 20% or more annually. This growth is fueled, in part, due to increased distribution via traditional grocery outlets. The USDA reports that as of 1999, conventional food stores began outselling natural products supermarkets in several key categories.
THOMAS/ferrous is a Sacramento, California-based marketing and communications firm that offers a complete range of services in strategic development, advertising, graphic design and electronic media.
Peabodys Coffee Inc. has developed the Black Rhino Coffee(tm) brand for marketing packaged certified organic coffee in retail markets. Currently, Black Rhino Coffee(tm) is on the shelf of supermarkets serviced by BI-LO, Ingles (Nasdaq:IMKTA), Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), and SuperValu (NYSE:SVU). With organic coffee being one of the fastest growing segments of the specialty coffee market, Black Rhino Coffee(tm) has uniquely positioned itself in the high growth natural foods category. Its hand-roasted blends are grown chemical-free under strict, totally natural conditions. All Black Rhino Coffee(tm) is independently certified under the United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program.
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