The company that added “venti” and “frappuccino”to American vocabularies is making a push throughout North America to convince connoisseurs to sample what many see as a down-market drink--instant coffee.
為美國新字詞彙加入venti（20盎司超大杯）和 frappuccino（星冰樂）的企業，正在北美推出一款新飲品，試圖說服咖啡達人品嘗在很多人眼中屬於低檔市場的飲品：即溶咖啡。
Nearly eight months after Starbucks Corp. began selling its Via instant coffee in Seattle and Chicago, the company began on September 29 to offer the dissolvable drink to the rest of the country and in its Canadian stores.
自星巴克開始在西雅圖和芝加哥推出「Via」即溶咖啡將近八個月後，這家公司決定從9月29日開始在全美其他地方及加拿大加盟店推出這款即溶飲品。
Backed by the company's first-ever television ads, along with large-scale distribution to about 1,500 sites outside its stores, the Via launch shows just how determined Starbucks is to own a stake in the $21 billion worldwide instant coffee market.
在星巴克有史以來首次上電視打廣告加持，加上向大約1500個店面外的據點大規模促銷後，推出Via更彰顯星巴克已下定決心，要在全球210億美元商機的即溶咖啡市場占一席之地。
“Based on the success we've had, we feel strongly that we're sitting on a very big opportunity,” said Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said during a conference call with journalists. “What's going to sell Via at the end of the day is that (it) delivers in the cup. Most people will not be able to tell the difference.”
星巴克執行長舒茲在和記者的電話會議中表示：「在試點成功的基礎上，我們強烈感受到已經抓住一次龐大的商機，說穿了，Via的賣點在它裝在杯子裡賣，大部分人很難區分其中的差異。」
While instant coffee is pervasive throughout Europe--accounting for as much as 80 percent of coffee sales in the U.K.--the insta-brews haven't won over American taste buds, in large part because of their image as an inferior knock-off of drip-brewed beverages.
雖然即溶咖啡通行全歐洲，英國市占率更高達80%，即溶咖啡卻未能滿足美國人的味蕾，大半原因出在它們比虹吸滴濾咖啡致命吸引力略遜一籌的刻板印象。
But it's that perception that Starbucks executives are trying to change. They hope the skinny cylindrical 3-packs ($2.95) and 12-packs ($9.95) of coffee that dissolve in water will eventually be as prevalent on store shelves as its packaged coffee is now. The coffee is available in Colombia and Italian Roast flavors, and more varieties are expected to be introduced in the future.
但這正是星巴克管理階層力圖改變的看法。他們希望細條狀3包裝（2.95美元）和12包裝（9.95美元）的即溶咖啡，終將和目前店裡上架的罐裝咖啡一樣普遍。即溶咖啡有哥倫比亞和義式烘焙口味，未來還將引進更多不同口味。
While experts see opportunity for Starbucks, they also see challenges. Bob Goldin, an analyst at the Chicago-based food consultant Technomic Inc., said Starbucks faces twin hurdles of perception and price. The Starbucks instant comes in just shy of a dollar a cup, compared with the pennies it costs for a cup of home-brewed joe.
專家固然認為星巴克抓住了商機，但也認為星巴克將面臨考驗和挑戰。芝加哥餐飲業顧問公司Technomic Inc.分析師高定表示，星巴克面臨觀感和價格雙重障礙。星巴克即溶咖啡每杯不到一美元，相形之下，在家泡杯咖啡只要幾分錢。
Marshaling vendors like camping store chain REI and office supply chain Office Depot Inc. will help the company get the product in hands of new customers. Via also will be sold inside Costco Wholesale Corp. and Target Corp. stores and to big food vendors like Compass and Aramark.
露營器材店REI及辦公用品供應連鎖店Office Depot Inc.等賣場並同意聯手協助星巴克把飲品送到新客群手中。Via也在好市多及Target量販店，以及Compass和Aramark等大型食品賣場擺售。
The offensive is also taking to the air, where passengers onboard certain United flights on September 29 were able to sample the drinks. In late October, United travelers will be able to buy 3-packs of the coffee from flight attendants while cruising at 30,000 feet. Vendors will be able to set their own prices for Via, but the company recommends similar prices to what the product will be sold for in Starbucks stores.
星巴克還把戰線拉到天上，9月29日搭乘聯合航空某些航班的乘客已經可以品嘗到這款即溶咖啡。10月底，聯合航空乘客飛行在3萬呎的高空，仍可向空服員買3包裝的即溶咖啡。各賣場可自訂Via即溶咖啡的售價，但星巴克建議在本店賣的產品可以統一售價。
Next year, Via will appear on grocery store shelves, which along with bulk stores account for roughly two-thirds of Starbucks' packaged coffee sales. Executives wouldn't release data on how Via's performed during its eight months on the market, but said early sales in the two U.S. cities--as well as in London--have exceeded expectations.
明年，Via將在雜貨店上架，再加上大型量販店，這種即溶咖啡將約占星巴克所售包裝咖啡的三分之二。星巴克管理高層並未透露Via在市場試賣8個月的銷售數據，只強調，在美國兩大城市及倫敦，初期銷售額已超出預期。
Among the surprises so far are the various uses of the drink discovered by consumers, executives said. Some people are buying the ground coffee to cook and bake with, while others are mixing it with cold water or milk. Schultz said it's also being bought by teachers to keep in lunchrooms and desks and by physicians who want a quick cup of coffee in a hospital.
但這些主管說，迄今最讓人驚訝的，包括消費者發現這款即溶咖啡的諸多用途。有些人買這種研磨咖啡是用來烹調和烘焙，還有些人加入冰水或牛奶攪拌。舒茲說，老師也買來放在學校餐廳和桌上，想在醫院來杯即溶咖啡的醫生也常買。
The introduction of Via comes at a particularly trying time for Starbucks, which has seen its revenue slide for the last three consecutive quarters. Meanwhile, profits have fallen in five out of the past six quarters. Hit by increasing competition and a recession that's caused caffeine addicts to switch to cheaper drinks, the gourmet chain's also had to close hundreds of stores and lay off workers as it tries to regain its financial swagger.
星巴克在特別艱困的時期，決定引進Via即溶咖啡。星巴克營收已連跌三季，同時在過去六季中有五季獲利下跌。受競爭加劇和經濟衰退衝擊，喝咖啡上癮的族群轉而喝較便宜的飲料，為了維持財務健全，這家美食連鎖店也被迫關閉數百家店面及裁員。
Whether or not Via will be a home run remains to be seen, particularly as competitor Nestle SA ramps up marketing of its own single-serve instant Nescafe coffee.
Via即溶咖啡是否能夠揮出全壘打仍有待觀察，尤其在競爭對手雀巢咖啡加強行銷其易理包雀巢即溶咖啡之際。
Goldin said the product will need more widespread sales than vendors such as Office Depot, REI and United can offer. If Starbucks can get Via in front of enough consumers, then it could have a chance for the beverage to succeed.“They're trying to find a breakthrough and I give them credit for that,” he said. “But it's easier said than done. I think they're going to have some challenges.”
高定說，除了Office Depot、REI和聯合航空，這項飲品將需要更多、更廣的行銷通路，如果星巴克能把Via送到夠多消費者面前，這款飲料就可能成功。他說：「他們正努力尋求突破，對此我肯定他們的貢獻，但知易行難，我想他們會遭遇一些挑戰。」
In this photo, Starbucks VIA Ready Brew instant coffee is offered for sale at Starbucks coffee shop September 29, 2009 in Chicago.
圖中星巴克位於芝加哥的店面9月29日正在販售Via即溶咖啡。（法新社）