From Bean to Brand: What Coffee Revealed About Purpose and Marketing

A week ago, I returned from the London Coffee Festival with my head full of ideas and my heart a little more aligned. I went with no big expectations —just the intention to observe, learn, and reconnect with an industry I’ve known for years, but that never stops challenging me with new questions. What I found wasn’t a specific coffee or a dazzling innovation, but something far more powerful: a necessary conversation about the future of specialty coffee.

Nick Mabey, co-founder of Assembly Coffee, said something during a talk that stuck with me:“Specialty coffee only works as long as the businesses behind it can survive.”

That sentence, in the middle of all the festival buzz, clicked with one of the most obvious contradictions in this industry: the gap between the narrative we promote —quality, sustainability, traceability— and the systems that actually support it. Because even today, much of the coffee trade (including specialty) still relies on the C price —an international benchmark that doesn’t reflect quality, human effort, or real production costs. A price dictated by external variables like weather in Brazil or financial speculation, rather than the logic of a fair and sustainable business.

This reflection hit me deeply because it connects with my professional journey. For over 15 years, I’ve worked in marketing and communications for brands across various industries. I’ve helped build powerful narratives, solid positioning, campaigns that move people and drive results. But I’ve also learned, over time, that a good story means nothing if it isn’t backed by real structures. If what’s promised to consumers doesn’t match the impact created at the source.

My connection with the world of coffee began in Colombia, working with the National Federation of Coffee Growers. That’s where I learned about fieldwork, the challenges of small producers, and the passion behind every bean. Later, living in Europe for over a decade, I saw the other side: consumers who value the product but often don’t understand what it takes to produce it. I witnessed how industrial coffee thrives on marketing alone, while specialty coffee struggles to balance quality, ethics, and sustainability—often without the necessary resources or systems.

It was in that context that I discovered CATA Export. My admiration for them came from something deeper than just good coffee: I recognized in their work a strategic vision, a narrative backed by action, and a brand with true purpose.

Behind CATA are Cat and Pierre, two people who decided to build real bridges between producers in Colombia and roasters in Europe, Australia, and Japan. Since 2019, they’ve grown organically, exporting containers of coffee from the heart of Huila, always grounded in traceability, quality, and long-term relationships.

What impressed me most wasn’t their international reach, but the human stories they’ve made possible. Like that of Néstor Lasso, a young self-taught producer who, thanks to CATA’s support, managed to have his coffees featured in international barista championships. Or the story of #CATAPaca, a community project in a small village in Saladoblanco, where basic training and simple protocols helped improve cup quality and secure fair prices for families who had never even tasted their own coffee before.

As a marketing consultant, I deeply value brands that align purpose, consistency, and measurable results. When storytelling is grounded in truth and strategy encompasses every link in the value chain, the impact is real. That’s why CATA’s story resonated so strongly with me —because in many ways, it mirrors my own. I was born in Colombia, one of the world’s leading coffee-producing countries.

Today, I have the privilege of being part of their team, contributing with what I know best: building brand, communicating with clarity, and designing strategies that drive real impact. But I’m also learning a lot. About coffee. About communities.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you.I’ll leave you with a few questions I often ask myself:

— Is your work improving the system you're part of?— Is what you say aligned with what you do?— Does your brand have a story… or a purpose?

Because at the end of the day, value doesn’t just come from what we sell —it comes from what we build. And when done right, that can truly change the world.