My Story in Marketing and Coffee

I started out as a copywriter about forty years ago.

Back then I had no particular interest in coffee, but I certainly drank a lot of it. It was my go-to fuel for getting a lot of work done fast.

It was 2005 that I became interested in the specialty coffee industry. That came about through a long project I worked on with Russ Lumsden of Coffee and Tea Warehouse. At that time Russ had already been in the industry for 30 years, and he taught me a great deal.

My work with Russ was also the inspiration behind publishing my own site about coffee, Coffee Detective, which I launched in 2006.

Through that site I have been able to listen to what coffee consumers love and hate about their coffee, and their brewing equipment. I recently launched a second publication, The Coffee Culture Newsletter.

Along the way, I’ve had the opportunity to connect with early founders in the third wave coffee movement, spend time with growers and processors in the Jamaican Blue Mountain region, and review enough coffee brewing equipment to fill half our basement.

While my interest in specialty coffee grew, my career as a copywriter and ad agency creative director continued to flourish. I have worked with major brands like Disney, Apple, New York Times, Reuters, Yahoo, and many other companies, large and small.

Also, over the course of my career as a copywriter I have won 15 awards, all based on results achieved.

And now, with Bean & Brand, I am finally and formally weaving the two threads of my career into one. Marketing + specialty coffee.

“I love the review. Nick is speaking my language when he describes tropical fruits, nuts, molasses and he also went on to describe the lemony peaberry. Very few people are able to discern the lemony note that is a hallmark of a top notch peaberry roast.” – Basil Jones, Managing Director of Coffee Solutions Ltd, Kingston, Jamaica

My focus is on now on helping independent roasters, coffee shop owners, and other specialty coffee companies attract and retain more customers.

But Bean & Brand isn’t just another “agency”. 

Based on what I have learned in my long career as a copywriter, my focus is on story-driven marketing.

Your competitors can copy WHAT you say, and HOW you say it… but they can’t copy WHO you are… your story.

That’s why my consulting and writing engagements all begin with identifying your core stories as a business.

“We are incredibly excited and humbled to have been featured and reviewed by Coffee Detective, a highly respected voice in the coffee community.’ – Talitha Coffee Roasters

If you’re ready to work with a marketer and writer who has decades of experience and proven success, plus a deep knowledge of the coffees and equipment consumers are looking for, let’s talk.

Nick Usborne
Montreal
[email protected]

Praise for my copywriting work:

“Something that’s stuck with me was Nick’s insistence on maintaining clarity of voice and purpose, always with the customer in mind. But his ability to teach us how to do that made the real difference. Our success today is certainly based, in part, on Nick’s guidance.” – Jay Steinfeld, Founder/CEO, Blinds.com

“Nick Usborne has had a truly transformational effect on the way we at VanDyke Software choose our words.” – Marc Orchant, VanDyke Software

“We had a great product that no copywriter seemed to be able to sell. I asked Nick to write a sales page and it instantly increased sales four-fold. Amazingly, 18 months and many tests later, it is still our control!” – Michael Lovitch, The Hypnosis Network

“Ninety minutes expert chat with Nick Usborne provides more insights than a full day at most marketing conferences. He is an accomplished online marketer and copywriter, a passionate, brilliant consultant, and (crucially) a dream to work with.” – Justin Deaville, CEO, Wordtracker