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About 10 years ago, Stōk was launched as a single product. espresso Coffee shot.
Today, the Danone-owned brand is the best-selling black ready-to-drink coffee by speed, according to Circana data cited by the CPG giant. Stōk’s portfolio has expanded far beyond shots and black coffee. Cappuccino-inspired cold brew, Harnessing seasonal flavors and the latest energy opens up new usage opportunities and consumers for our fast-growing brands.
Brittney Polka, Vice President of Ready-to-Beverage at Danone North America, responded to Food Dive’s questions via email from Stōk. Brand and future.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Food Dive: How has the brand changed? why?
polka: Stōk Cold Brew Coffee started with a single product, Espresso Coffee Shots. Eight years later, the brand has evolved into a portfolio of best-selling, award-winning Ready to Drink products for consumers who love cold brew.
As the brand continues to grow, Stōk Cold Brew has built a community of cold brew enthusiasts who connect with the brand. This is thanks to their countercultural approach to marketing and the product itself, which offers bold and smooth flavors. The taste I like about coffee.
Whether it’s an American cold brew brand sponsoring a Welsh football club (Wrexham AFC), or launching new, innovative flavors and product ranges, the way Stōk presents itself to the market all helps support and grow its empathetic consumer base. With our commitment to superior cold brew coffee
Brittney Polka, vice president of ready-to-drink beverages at Danone North America, said:
Permission granted by Danone
When fans choose a bottle of Stōk Cold Brew coffee, they do so not only because they like the product, but because it’s a brand that evokes their values and interests with self-deprecating humor.
Where does Danone see Stōk in the market? Is it more than just cold brew coffee?
polka: As a category leader, Stōk is more than just traditional cold brew coffee. The brand offers a variety of options to satisfy consumer desires, including black cold brew products with varying roast levels, creamy options like stock cappuccino, and seasonal drinks such as pumpkin and peppermint mocha.
If you want to keep you from falling asleep, we’ve just launched Stōk Cold Brew Energy, a new energy coffee drink that pioneers a new category for the brand: ready-to-drink energy coffee. Energy is the largest and second-fastest single-serve beverage category, driven primarily by younger Gen Z consumers. Given that Stōk is already a leader in the cold brew space, it only made sense for Stōk to boldly jump into this new category the way only they know how.
One can of Stōk Cold Brew Energy contains a powerful blend of rich, smooth, high-quality coffee with focus-boosting caffeine, B vitamins, ginseng, and guarana. We know that consumers in this segment are looking for great tasting options that also offer functional benefits. I think I succeeded at both.
What will the future look like? rod?
polka: We’re always creating something here at Stōk. With the launch of Stōk Energy Cold Brew, we’re bringing back the fan-favorite Peppermint Mocha Cold Brew flavor for the holiday season. This time we’re putting a bold twist on the holiday sweater.
We also introduced rod The first ready-to-drink decaf cold brew, the multi-serve format decaf is now available in stores nationwide, offering a bold and smooth experience. People who like the taste of cold brew but don’t always want caffeine to enjoy it at different life stages or at different times of the day. Our fans have been asking for this for years, and we’re excited to give them a rich cold brew they can enjoy any time of day.
In 2025, we’re excited to continue leveraging our great tastes and delivering new, innovative marketing campaigns, whether in multi-serve bottles or cans. Fans can follow our social channels to learn more about what’s next for the brand in 2025 and beyond.
How can a brand stay competitive in a fairly crowded category?
polka: As we emerge from the pandemic, we can see the habit of drinking coffee at home taking root. People want to enjoy their coffee experience at home through customized beverage options, and our product innovation pipeline helps us meet this consumer demand. Open your social media and see this in action. The “For You” page is flooded with users recreating their favorite coffee shop-inspired drinks at home or sharing unique “secret menu” style orders when enjoying coffee. go.
For example, Stōk Cappuccino launched with the goal of creating an innovative product that would allow coffee lovers to pour their own coffeehouse-style blend without the coffee shop-style wait times.
What we do at Stōk is twofold. It’s about staying ahead of the curve in innovation to deliver the products consumers crave in the RTD coffee category, and continuing to do so in authentic and bold ways that engage and delight consumers. .
We know our fans are focused on high-quality, flavored options, so we continue to channel their energy and innovate to deliver superior cold brew coffee in a variety of high-quality, flavored beverages. That’s why we continue to drive demand in an increasingly saturated market.
