VOTE FOR JUAN!

Ok, this is serious thing!

I do not know how many of you know Juan Valdez, and all what is behind him - but at least for Colombians, Juan Valdez is one of this unique concepts that has contrarrested in the best ways posible parts of the deteriored image that Colombia many times has, specially abroad. There is nothing happier for a colombian than a foreigner saying you: "ahhh Colombia, coffee, JUAN VALDEZ!" (vs. the traditional "ahhh Colombia, drugs, Pablo Escobar!" or stuff like that). Maybe you have seen him on a plane (I love Sky Team cause they ONLY serve Colombian coffee for example!) , at airports or you might have go to one of the recently opened Juan Valdez Shops, in Colombia or in the US (Washington, Seatle or NYC).

Colombian coffee is one of the best of the world - a fact. But this porting is not about the coffee but again, about Juan. Juan Valdez has been for years the IMAGE of the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia, founded in 1926, is an independent marketing entity for the collective coffee growers of Colombia.

Within Colombia, the Federation provides a network of agricultural expertise and quality control to insure the highest standards for Colombian Coffee. Around the world, Federation offices work with appropriate trade and media channels within each country to promote the consumption of Colombian Coffee.

To promote Colombian Coffee consumption it was first necessary to let consumers know why Colombian Coffee is a better product, hence to teach them the amount of care and labor that goes into growing and harvesting Colombian Coffee as well as the ideal climatic conditions that are hard to find in other countries.

The initial educational campaign consisted on television commercials that would show Juan Valdez, Colombian Coffee's longtime spokesperson, in the coffee fields hand-picking the beans at the moment of prime ripeness. This helped consumers understand that Colombian beans are grown and picked by dedicated men, with little or no help from machines in excellent climatic conditions with plenty of rain, sun, and volcanic soil.

Today JUAN VALDEZ is a phanomenom and for this visit yourself the webpages around him to see how this idea and marketing campaign evolved:

http://www.juanvaldez.com/

http://friendsofjuan.com/

http://www.juanvaldez.com/menu/advertising/index.html

http://www.juanvaldez.com/menu/useful_info/index.html

http://www.juanvaldezcafe.com/

http://www.cafedecolombia.com/

I am very happy that Juan Valdez is nominated as one of the favourite advertisement icons, compiting with firms as Ronald MC Donalds, Miss Chiquita (from Chiquita Bananas), the Energizer bunny, the Nike swoosh and the Michelin Man. Last year it was the M&Ms guys who came out on top. Who’s next? JUAN! Just click here and vote for JUAN!