The Marketing Journal
  • About
  • Interviews
  • Articles
  • Videos
  • Book Reviews
  • Views
  • Subscribe
“100 Years of Community Engagement: The Regenerative Roots of Morettino Coffee” – Christian Sarkar, Enrico Foglia, and Philip Kotler

“100 Years of Community Engagement: The Regenerative Roots of Morettino Coffee” – Christian Sarkar, Enrico Foglia, and Philip Kotler

November 17, 2021

In a previous article we described regenerative marketing as marketing practices which nurture communities and build local prosperity over the long term.  Now, we study the community regeneration aspects of Morettino coffee, a Sicilian institution for over 100 years.

The Morettino family‘s  passion for coffee began in 1920 in their family spice shop located in the historic district San Lorenzo ai Colli in Palermo. Over the years, the artisanal production process, the fine art of blending select coffee beans, became a signature brand for Palermo’s middle class and the city’s historic cafés.

Morettino: A Regenerative Organization

The story of Morettino coffee is synonymous with quality, culture, and tradition.  The company has remained in the neighborhood it was born in, and its leadership still live on the company premises. This closeness to the community is not an accident, It is part of the strategy devised by the founder, when he would spend mornings cycling around the neighborhood, listening to Palermitans and their daily concerns.

Being part of the community was not enough.  The process is based on a continuous dialogue between the business and the community, followed by an integration of purpose, which in turn leads to community regeneration. Thus, a regenerative business is in the business of building local trust.

A regenerative business is place-based, builds community wealth, improves social cohesion and inclusivity – creating a just future for the community.

The Morettino vision is to create and sustain community conversations – bringing neighborhoods together – creating genuine community cohesion.  This is one reason for its “slow growth” strategy and its commitment to neighborhood cafes and employment for its citizens.  From Zen – a rougher Palermitan neighborhood –  to the stately Palazzos of Palermo, the people drink Morettino’s historic coffee.  It is in some ways a cultural narrative which goes back to the roots of coffee culture – the African and Arabic roots of coffee culture – born in Ethiopia, and spread over the world.  In Islamic cultures, where alcohol is forbidden, coffee is ” the wine of Allah” – a gift to mankind.

To put coffee culture in perspective, Starbucks’ “third place” strategy was a deliberate and conscious effort by Howard Schultz to bring this sense of community, which he encountered in Italian coffee houses, to the United States in a commercial way.

Morettino’s 100 year-strong regenerative strategy has been to empower local owners – the cafes, bars, and restaurants –  to build spaces and create value for these small businesses.  Today there are around 500 such small neighborhood enterprises, each with their own unique history – united by the Morettino coffee experience. Morettino also supports innovative social startups like Moltivolti and Al Fresco Bistrot, by providing them with the equipment needed to provide quality coffee to their customers.

Coffee Supports Culture

In Palermo, at the crossroads of the cultures of the Mediterranean, the Morettino family continues to make good on the promise of community. “I Caffè di Sicilia” is an experimental project focusing on the cultural landmarks of Palermo and Sicily, a project developed though collaboration and constant dialogue with other community institutions, such as the Federico II Foundation, the Teatro Massimo Foundation, and Coop Culture, the largest cooperative operating in the culture sector in Italy.

Each blend preserves the aromas and flavors of the region to which they are dedicated: the blend dedicated to the Royal Palace, for example, expresses notes of orange blossom and bitter orange marmalade, the one inspired by the Cathedral accents of jasmine and prickly pears, and the blend created to represent the the Duomo of Monreale expresses the mandarins from the Conca d’Oro. Most importantly, in terms of regeneration, a portion of the profits of each sale go towards supporting the cultural landmarks.

The project has wider-ranging plans, which in the future will involve the Morettino Coffee Museum and Coffee School through educational  initiatives, which will include collaborative projects with the Municipality of Palermo.

Another regenerative initiative embraced by the Morettinos is their School of Coffee which organizes coffee lessons dedicated to coffee lovers (not just coffee makers), with the goal of spreading authentic coffee culture. The goal of  “Bartender Jobs” is to give new job prospects to the best bartenders in Sicily and the rest of Italy. A way of giving hope to the youth and others looking for work, the initiative is also an opportunity for bar, cafes and clubs owners to select passionate and competent staff. Morettino organizes coffee lessons dedicated to coffee lovers (not just coffee makers), with the goal of spreading authentic coffee culture.

Morettino also collaborates with Università di Palermo and Orto Botanico on their Coffee plantation project, Museo internazionale delle marionette for the campaign “Morettino per i Pupi siciliani” (we financed the restoration of ancient Sicilian puppets and the “Pupari” during the lockdown in 2020). Morettino also  collaborates with Fondazione Merz  to reopen the Zac contemporary art pavilion in Cantieri culturali della Zisa in Palermo.

Cultivating Sicilian Coffee

Another expression of local regeneration is the Morettino vision to grow coffee on the island of Sicily. For just over 30 years, the Morettinos tried cultivating coffee plants in their own neighborhood – 350 meters above sea level – in the small village of San Lorenzo ai colli, in Palermo.  The 60 Arabica Coffee plants came from seeds donated in the 90s from the Botanical Gardens in Palermo.

Arturo (right) and Andrea (left) Morettino

As the company reached its centennial, something surprising happened. The Morettino coffee plantation produced 30 kg (about 60 lbs) of coffee – “Made in Italy.”  The remarkable thing is that the plants grew in the open air, without using pesticides or green houses: a native Sicilian coffee.

Balancing Business and Community Value

The Morettino commitment to slow coffee and to the conversations engendered by coffee is reflected in its regenerative business model. Business value creation is coupled to nurturing community value:

Perhaps the most remarkable thing after 100 years of success, is the enthusiasm for the future. The Morettino story is still just beginning.

Christian Sarkar is the editor of this site, and is a co-founder of the Regenerative Marketing Institute with Enrico Foglia and Philip Kotler.

Related Posts

“Technology and the Common Good” – Christian Sarkar and Philip Kotler

B2B Marketing /

“Technology and the Common Good” – Christian Sarkar and Philip Kotler

“Wicked Problems” – An Interview with Philip Kotler and Christian Sarkar

B2C Marketing /

“Wicked Problems” – An Interview with Philip Kotler and Christian Sarkar

OP-ED: “Autopsy Of a Brand: Tesla” – George Tsakraklides

Brand Activism /

OP-ED: “Autopsy Of a Brand: Tesla” – George Tsakraklides

‹ “China’s Tech and Finance Crackdown is a Challenge to Western Ideas” – Johannes Petry › “Prison Brands: Regenerative Justice as a Business Model” – Christian Sarkar, Enrico Foglia, and Philip Kotler
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Recent Posts

  • “Technology and the Common Good” – Christian Sarkar and Philip Kotler
  • “Cultural Presence: The Social Function of Milan Design Week” – Barbara Dal Corso
  • “Wicked Problems” – An Interview with Philip Kotler and Christian Sarkar
  • “Dragon proofing your legacy brand” – Grant McCracken
  • OP-ED: “Autopsy Of a Brand: Tesla” – George Tsakraklides
  • “The 5th P is Purpose” – Christian Sarkar and Philip Kotler
  • “The CEO-as-Brand Era: How Leadership Ego is Fueling Tesla’s Meltdown” – Ilenia Vidili
  • “The Future of Marketing is the Quest for Good” – Christian Sarkar and Philip Kotler
  • “Questions for the New Year” – John Hagel
  • “Enlightened Management – An Interview with Gabriele Carboni”
  • “If you’re not thinking segments, you’re not thinking” – Anthony Ulwick
  • “Does Marketing Need Curtailment for the Sake of Sustainability?” – Philip Kotler
  • ‘Social profit orientation’ can help companies and nonprofits alike do more good in the world by Leonard L. Berry, Lerzan Aksoy, and Tracey Danaher
  • “Understanding Hallyu: The Impact of Korean Pop Culture” by Sanya Anand and David Seyheon Baek
  • “Go-to-Market (GTM): A New Definition” – Karthi Ratnam
  • “Jobs-to-be-Done for Government” – Anthony Ulwick
  • “The Power of Superconsumers” – Christopher Lochhead, Eddie Yoon, & Katrina Kirsch
  • “Zoom Out/Zoom In – Making It Personal” – John Hagel
  • “Regeneration or Extinction?” – a discussion with Philip Kotler, Christian Sarkar, and Enrico Foglia
  • “Climate scientists: concept of net zero is a dangerous trap” – James Dyke, Robert Watson, and Wolfgang Knorr
  • “The allure of the ad-lib: New research identifies why people prefer spontaneity in entertainment” – Jacqueline Rifkin and Katherine Du
  • “What is ‘ethical AI’ and how can companies achieve it?” by Dennis Hirsch and Piers Norris Turner
  • “How the US military used magazines to target ‘vulnerable’ groups with recruiting ads” – Jeremiah Favara
  • “Ethics and AI: Policies for Governance and Regulation” – Aryssa Yoon, Christian Sarkar, and Philip Kotler
  • “Product Feature Prioritization —How to Align on the Right List” – Bob Pennisi
  • “The Community Value Pyramid” – Christian Sarkar, Philip Kotler, Enrico Foglia
  • “Next Practices in Museum Experience Design” – Barbara Dal Corso
  • “What does ESG mean?” – Luciana Echazú and Diego C. Nocetti
  • “ChatGPT could be a game-changer for marketers, but it won’t replace humans any time soon” – Omar H. Fares
  • “If Your Brand Comes Before Your Category, You’re Doing It Wrong” – Eddie Yoon, Nicolas Cole, Christopher Lochhead

Categories

  • Advertising
  • AI
  • Analytics
  • B2B Marketing
  • B2C Marketing
  • Big Data
  • Book Reviews
  • Brand Activism
  • Branding
  • Category Design
  • Community
  • Content Marketing
  • COVID-19
  • Creativity
  • Customer Culture
  • Customer Engagement
  • Customer Experience
  • Dark Marketing
  • Decision Making
  • Design
  • Digital Marketing
  • Ecosystems & Platforms
  • Ethics
  • Go to Market
  • Innovation
  • Internet of Things
  • Jobs-to-be-Done
  • Leadership
  • Manipulation
  • Marketing Technology
  • Markets & Segmentation
  • Meaning
  • Metrics & Outcomes
  • Millennials
  • Mobile Marketing
  • Non Profit Marketing
  • Organizational Alignment
  • Peace Marketing
  • Privacy
  • Product Marketing
  • Regeneration
  • Regenerative Marketing
  • Research
  • Retail
  • Risk & Reputation
  • Sales
  • Services Marketing
  • Social Media
  • Strategy & Business Models
  • Sustainability
  • Uncategorized
  • Videos

Archives

  • May 2025
  • April 2025
  • March 2025
  • January 2025
  • December 2024
  • September 2024
  • March 2024
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • October 2022
  • August 2022
  • May 2022
  • January 2022
  • November 2021
  • September 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016

Back to Top

© 2016-19 The Marketing Journal and the individual author(s). All Rights Reserved
Produced by: Double Loop Marketing LLC
By using this site, scrolling this page, clicking a link or continuing to browse otherwise, you agree to the use of cookies, our privacy policy, and our terms of use.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy