Part II – Annie Fennell, Sr. Associate Brand Manager

In this three-part series, we go behind the scenes of the creation of the STōK Espresso Blend and highlight three Danoners who helped bring the roast to market. Learn about their role in the process, how they have grown in their careers, and why they love working at Danone.

When tasked with understanding the sipping desires of the American coffee consumer and then conceptualizing a taste that fully delivers on that craving, curiosity is inherently part of the job description.

“What do they want? And how do we give it to them?” 

These questions dominated the thoughts of Danone brand marketers who sought to pinpoint the precise roast to add to the STōK Cold Brew Coffee lineup. 

Backed by a large cross-functional effort that required extensive research and a righteous caffeine buzz, the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) team dubbed STōK Espresso Blend the next big thing. 

Sr. Associate Brand Manager Annie Fennell, a member of the Categories team, helped usher the brand’s darkest, boldest flavor yet to grocery store shelves across the country. 

Product Percolation

The idea to create the STōK Espresso Blend came to life when the ready-to-drink multi-serve team decided that it was time to add another roast to the lineup.

But why espresso? The decision to add the roast wasn’t made on a whim.

“It starts with our analytics and insights team running research into what consumers want and need,” Annie says. “What do people want to see on the shelf? What is missing from their at-home coffee routine?”

With the research in hand, the RTD team began concepting and evaluating how espresso would fit into the STōK portfolio. Next, they worked with the Research and Innovation (R&I) team to pin down flavor notes and taste lab samples – Annie’s favorite part of her projects – to make sure they matched the robust, chocolate warmth of espresso that consumers love.

From there, the sales team and production line workers were essential to placing STōK Espresso Blend in the hands of consumers. 

A Successful Launch

Annie focused on driving growth through the launch of the new product, working closely with the Brand Communications team and the STōK external PR agency to build product awareness through media inclusions. Annie also worked closely with sales partners to make sure STōK Espresso remained top of mind for both consumers and customers.

The efforts paid off in a big way, with STōK Espresso Blend excelling in sales as a top performer in the Danone North America portfolio and even winning PEOPLE’s Food Award in 2023 for best coffee. 

“There's no better feeling than working on a project and seeing it on the shelf when you walk into a grocery store,” Annie says. “The chance to see the product and watch consumers interact with it is so special.”

Growing in Her Career

Annie first joined Danone North America as an Intern in 2017 during the summer of her junior year - an experience that confirmed her commitment to joining full-time after college. 

“Danone fosters a community to collaborate with others, and I feel so lucky to work with such smart, kind, and incredible human beings to deliver amazing results,” Annie says. “More specifically, the opportunity to connect with strong, empowering female leaders at the organization has fueled my career in brand marketing.”

STōK Cold Brew Coffee is an official sponsor of Wrexham A.F.C., which is owned by co-celebrity chairmen Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. So when Annie’s manager asked if she wanted to attend a sponsorship summit in Wales and see the STōK Racecourse Ground in person, she jumped at the opportunity: “It was absolutely incredible to make the trip across the pond and I think it's a testament to how much Danone believes in their employees and more specifically, my leadership team believes in me.” 

In our previous story, we met Food Scientist Brittney Bonham to learn how the flavors for STōK Espresso came to life in the lab. Stay tuned for the final story of this three-part series which features Plant Bottles Lead Operator, Paulo Ortega. Learn how he set up the City of Industry Plant production line to successfully bottle STōK Espresso.