Building a data dream team: Insights from Costa Coffee
Missed the event? No worries.
In this blog, we break down the highlights for you – from how Costa leverages data to enhance their business strategy, to their tips on fostering talent development.
Apprenticeship power
Ruth South, Costa’s Global Talent Development & Apprenticeships Lead, believes apprenticeships will be key to an imperative mission: bridging the technology skills gap, within Costa, and across the wider industry. “We have a great opportunity to help people operate in the technology space through these apprenticeships,” she said of Costa’s work with QA in promoting tech careers.
This is underpinned from a data perspective, as well as a talent-oriented one. QA’s Portfolio Director for Data Analytics, AI, and Machine Learning, David Pool, imbues our programmes with advanced data science knowledge. In turn, the data skills gap can be lessened, and new solutions innovated.
What does Costa do with its consumer data?
To understand the role that apprenticeship talent plays for Costa, let’s first explore how this always-innovating organisation leverages data power.
With over 5 million active consumers in the UK, Costa collects data through retail stores and Express machines. This helps them understand consumer behaviour and preferences, allowing for better business decisions and personalised consumer engagement.
According to Costa’s Global Head of Consumer Data & Digital Analytics, Ed Child, seasonal product development is fundamentally driven by data insights.
“We always monitor global trends, but our decisions are increasingly data-driven,” Ed shared. This approach enables Costa to introduce products that resonate with current consumer preferences, such as seasonal flavours.
How do you take your coffee?
The Costa app plays a crucial role in gathering transactional data, which is then used to build meaningful consumer relationships.
Ed explained, “We have one of the largest loyalty schemes in the UK, and this data helps us understand consumer behaviour, such as their preferred time for coffee.”
This information allows Costa to tailor their marketing efforts and product offerings to better meet consumer needs. With detailed consumer profiles, Costa can ensure relevant and engaging marketing strategies.
Saving the planet, one cup at a time
Sustainability is a core value at Costa, and data plays a pivotal role in their efforts to promote environmentally friendly practices. Ed highlighted initiatives like offering discounts to consumers who use their own cups, which not only encourages sustainable behaviour, but also enhances consumer loyalty.
One of Costa’s current data apprentices, Katie, used predictive analytics to examine the number of single-use take-away cups that go to waste annually, such as at the end of a seasonal campaign. Katie explained that her analytics took into account factors like “as more people use reusable cups, we’re actually needing fewer and fewer single-use each year.”
By pinpointing how many cups truly needed to be produced, Katie was able to cut down wastage and by extension, continue to reduce Costa’s environmental impact.
Katie shared her hopes that projects like this will help to achieve Costa’s sustainability agenda. “It’s been great to be part of and it’s a project that, without the apprenticeship, I don’t think I would have had the skills to contribute to.”
The future of the data dream team
With the power of data, and the value of data talent contributing exciting results, Costa are keen to build on this by nurturing further skills growth.
To achieve this, Ed focuses on creating a supportive environment for data specialists. “We’re not a huge team, but we focus on bringing in specialists and offering them development opportunities,” he said. This includes offering apprenticeships based on specialised training and real-world applications, fostering a continuous learning culture.
In turn, this contributes to the diversity of Costa’s workforce and the inclusivity of their culture.
Ruth highlighted how apprenticeships provide a pathway for individuals from various backgrounds to enter the tech field. “We see a diversity of thought and increased social mobility through our apprenticeship programmes,” she said, underscoring the importance of offering careers for life within the organisation.
Ruth and Ed aim to expand the data apprenticeships programme within Costa, offering opportunities from entry-level to advanced roles, including a level 7 apprenticeship (equivalent to a Master’s degree).
Ruth emphasised the continued importance of partnerships in this journey, stating, “Working with partners like QA allows us to offer a range of opportunities and inspire continuous learning.”
Costa is successfully building a ‘data dream team’ through strategic apprenticeships and data-driven practices, but they’re not done yet. As Ed aptly put it, “It’s an exciting space, and there are so many opportunities to make meaningful contributions through data.”
Check out the full webinar here
If your organisation is ready to start building its own data dream team, visit our Data solutions page to find out more and get in touch with our experts.