Lavazza
Company: Luigi Lavazza S.p.A.
Brand value: US$763 million
Change since 2018: 7%
Headquarter city: Turin
Category: Soft Drinks
Year formed: 1895
Lavazza has become one of the best-known coffee brands in the world, selling loose ground coffee and individual portions or pods, both through bars and coffee shops as well as directly to consumers, in over 90 countries. Lavazza claims to have invented the art of blending coffees from different growing areas to achieve a superior flavor; it has a research center devoted to the study of espresso, and a global network of coffee schools. In Italy, Lavazza is considered a mass-market brand and advertising tends to be humorous, while internationally, as the brand is more premium, communication focuses on Lavazza’s rich Italian heritage. Since 1991, the now-famous annual Lavazza Calendar has featured fashion imagery from some of the world’s leading photographers. The Lavazza Foundation works with the Rainforest Alliance on the Tierra project, which aims to improve conditions for people in coffee-producing countries.