Keurig Acknowledges Customer Backlash, Performs 180 Following Failed DRM-Laced K-Cup Push
Keurig’s attempt to lock its competitor’s coffee pods out of its brewers (all while running “The choice is yours” branding) has finally come to something of an end – though it’s not one that will appease some Keurig owners. The company announced that it is bringing back the My K-Cup in time for the holidays, giving its customers some freedom when choosing which coffee the Keurig will brew.
“We want customers to be able to brew every brand, any brand of coffee in their machine, and bringing the My K-Cup back allows that,” Keurig CEO Brian Kelley told analysts in a call this week, reported Fortune. Supporting the My K-Cup will let customers choose their own coffee, but keeps competing (sometimes less expensive) pods out of the Keurig brewer. Unfortunately, it looks like existing My K-Cups won’t work; you’ll need to buy a new My K-Cup that supports the Keurig scanner when it comes out later this year.
If you’re not a Keurig owner, you might not be familiar with the great Coffee Scandal of 2014, so here’s the lowdown: Keurig threw its customers a curveball when it launched the Keurig 2.0, which uses a scanner to verify that the K-Cup coffee pod you’ve just put in is a Keurig-approved pod. This resembles DRM for your coffee and customers weren’t buying it – literally. Keurig has experienced poor sales of its 2.0 model, which appears to be the impetus for the reversal.
So, you’ll be able to brew any coffee you want by the holidays – so long as it’s not in a pod that hasn’t been approved by Keurig.
“We want customers to be able to brew every brand, any brand of coffee in their machine, and bringing the My K-Cup back allows that,” Keurig CEO Brian Kelley told analysts in a call this week, reported Fortune. Supporting the My K-Cup will let customers choose their own coffee, but keeps competing (sometimes less expensive) pods out of the Keurig brewer. Unfortunately, it looks like existing My K-Cups won’t work; you’ll need to buy a new My K-Cup that supports the Keurig scanner when it comes out later this year.
If you’re not a Keurig owner, you might not be familiar with the great Coffee Scandal of 2014, so here’s the lowdown: Keurig threw its customers a curveball when it launched the Keurig 2.0, which uses a scanner to verify that the K-Cup coffee pod you’ve just put in is a Keurig-approved pod. This resembles DRM for your coffee and customers weren’t buying it – literally. Keurig has experienced poor sales of its 2.0 model, which appears to be the impetus for the reversal.
So, you’ll be able to brew any coffee you want by the holidays – so long as it’s not in a pod that hasn’t been approved by Keurig.
