This is officially my last blog post of this trip! I can’t believe how fast the past 2 weeks have flown by. Each day we had something new and interesting to look forward to, and this trip has genuinely been one of the best experiences of my life. On our last travel day, we went to a strawberry plantation and visited La Paz to see animals and the waterfalls.

We wrapped up the day at an Alajuela vs Heredia soccer game!

Throughout studying here, my group and I have been focusing on designing and launching the product, which is marketing. There is a supply chain for the coffee industry, and the four steps are farm, processing mills/exporters, coffee roasters, and consumers.

When examining the farming done on Costa Rican coffee plantations, it’s interesting to note that farms cater to tourists. Doka, a coffee growing plantation, allowed tourists to see equipment used to produce coffee. Therefore, on the farm land itself, marketing is being done, as consumers are able to see how a product is made while trying it. Additionally, Costa Rica’s farming methods, like picking coffee cherries by hand, sets the country apart in the global and competitive coffee market.

The next step in the supply chain for coffee is processing/exporting. For example, Doka exports most of their coffee. In this step, it’s crucial for Costa Rican coffee producers to market themselves based on the quality of product they produce rather than the quantity. Brazil is a leading coffee producer in the world, and given its size, Costa Rica cannot compete when it comes to the amount of product produced. Because of this, it’s crucial that Costa Rican coffee companies market themselves proving their quality. For example, in 2011, Doka won the Cup of Excellence Award, which is a reward to farmers for producing quality coffee. Since winning this, Doka now has the ability to market itself as quality with proof, as they were recognized on a worldwide scale.

The following step in the supply chain deals with coffee roasters and cafés/stores. Café Britt is a perfect example of this step in the supply chain, as they roast the coffee. Café Britt utilizes multiple marketing techniques to market themselves as a quality and luxury product. For example, Café Britt sells their product in places like hotels and airports, yet they also sell their product in gas stations. Through their brand name and packaging, Café Britt is able to market itself in these locations. They use bright colored coffee bags and display the name on the front of the bag. Given Café Britt’s positive reputation, people are drawn to the product with the packing but willing to buy because of the brand name.

A final step in the supply chain is customers. This step is where producers want the product to end up! Each step in the supply chain should be aimed at reaching this final step of reaching customers. Marketing is what draws consumers in, and often times with products, when a person buys, word of mouth marketing begins to happen. Marketing can occur in the most obscure ways!

After these past 2 weeks, my knowledge of supply chains has definitely exponentially grown. It was fascinating to see steps different businesses take to ultimately reach consumers and be successful.

Well, this is the end of my final blog post of Plus3 Costa Rica! I’m so sad to leave tomorrow, but I hope to come back to Costa Rica someday!

Pura Vida and Hasta Luego!

Here’s some more fun photos from the past 2 days!