CANTON, Mass. — Dunkin' Donuts has announced that an independent taste test of coffee drinkers across 10 major U.S. markets shows a majority of participants preferred Dunkin' Donuts coffee over Starbucks.
A&G Research Inc., under the counsel of claims test advisor Al Ossip, conducted the taste test in May and June in 10 cities. The double-blind taste test involved 476 adults, each of whom had consumed regular, hot brewed coffee within the past week. For the test, A&G Research used fresh packaged coffee purchased in each brand's stores, tested each brand's most popular flavor (Dunkin' Donuts Original Blend versus Starbucks House Blend), brewed the coffee using equipment recommended by each brand and served it black.
The study results indicate:
- Among all participants, 54.2 percent preferred Dunkin' Donuts coffee, compared to 39.3 percent who chose Starbucks and 6.3 percent who expressed no preference.
- Of those participants who did have a preference, 58 percent favored Dunkin' Donuts coffee, versus 42 percent for Starbucks.
Beginning today, a new televison advertising spot from Dunkin' will depict vignettes of consumers taking a blind taste test. The spot, created by Hill Holiday, leaves the message that consumers prefer Dunkin' Donuts coffee over Starbucks. The message will also be communicated on radio, in-shop and online, including on a new Web site, www.DunkinBeatStarbucks.com.
Also, in 2008, for the second year in a row, Dunkin' Donuts ranked No. 1 in customer loyalty in the coffee category by the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index. According to the survey, Dunkin' Donuts was the leading brand for consistently meeting or exceeding consumer expectations.
