Friday, October 11, 2013

My Experience With Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified Coffee ThroughBzzAgent


I had joined BzzAgent.com (a fun-spirited social marketing/word of mouth company) a little while back, and have only recently been involved in my first campaign with them as a BzzAgent. I was sent 3 two packs of Green Mountain Coffee Fair Trade Certified K-Cups in the "Three Continent Blend" Extra Bold flavor, some great coupons to share with others toward a new Keurig machine, and some informational materials:

It's FUN being a BzzAgent!

See Kelly Clarkson, there on the packaging? She's more than just a pretty face with a great voice, she's a socially-conscious celebrity with a refreshing down-home heart. She's also a three-time Grammy Award winner and a Green Mountain spokesperson with great taste in coffee and causes, such as spreading the word about the importance of buying Fair Trade Certified coffee. Before I give my synopsis of the meaning of Green Mountain coffee's Fair Trade Certifed coffees, I encourage you to take a few moments and watch the two YouTube videos below and see the farmers faces that grow and harvest these wonderful beans, and hear from the communities that are now able to give an education to their children, thanks to the movement of Fair Trade:
Kelly Clarkson Learns About Fair Trade:

Kelly Clarkson in Peru, Meeting the Farmers and Communities Involved With Fair Trade:

Those videos touched my heart! It made me realize how important it is to choose Fair Trade Certified coffee (and now that I've had Green Mountain's coffee, I'm pretty much a coffee snob to any other kind now ;)

*I snub all other coffees, now...thanks a lot, BzzAgent ;)*

In short, when I choose Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified coffee, I am choosing to buy from a brand that has made a commitment to always give the farmers a fair price for their beans, and always with a guaranteed minimum. Green Mountain's choice to do this gives farmers better choices: choices that include being able to afford their children an education, their families a better way of life, and their communities a way of moving forward in a positive direction. Choosing Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified coffee is a simple choice that I can make that gives other people in other communites around the world better choices! It's simple: I get a consistently great, high-quality cup of coffee, and the farmers who grow these beans consistently get a fair price for their crops! It's a no brainer.

My particular flavor that I was sent, Green Mountain "Three Continent Blend, Extra Bold" was spot-on for superb flavor, strength, smootheness, and absolutely no bitterness. Because I prefer stronger coffees, I have often had to deal with a certain amount of bitterness, but was delighted to find that there was none with this. Prior to adding my usual creamer, I tried it black first, to get a fuller sense of the actual taste of the coffee, and it was very good by itself. With my creamer, it couldn't have gotten any better, it was just so delicious, cup after cup. My daughter, who I made a cup for as well, said it was the best she's had yet. Looks like we are both hooked on this brand and flavor now!

Below is what came in my BzzKit:



                     My first-ever BzzAgent campaign!                     

My first Green Mountain Coffee K-Cup in my Keurig:


...Brewing...(The rich warm aroma filled my kitchen delightfully!)
I wish you could smell this brewing: WONDERFUL!!!

I cannot tell you HOW HARD it was for me to take these pictures before trying the coffee, the anticipation was brutal:

A cup for my daughter and a cup for me :)

Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified coffee is a winner in our home!

I was surprised how rich (and smooth) coffee can truly be, and got quite an education on the importance of Fair Trade. It's such a good feeling to know that when I purchase Fair Trade Certified Green Mountain coffee, I'm helping others around the world. To sum it up, every delicious cup I help myself to helps others around the world, and that is a wonderful thing!

Monday, October 7, 2013

BzzAgent

BzzAgent is a social marketing company that is free to join that allows members to receive invitations to try new products, then share their experiences with friends and family, as well as on various social sites and blogs. I recently became a member and have been invited to try Green Mountain Fair Trade Certified Coffee. This is called a "campaign" and the shipment of this product and related materials is called a "BzzKit." I'm truly excited to try this brand of coffee, as I am a champion coffee drinker!

I am expecting my first "BzzKit" to arrive this week, and will be reviewing the product and posting photos of everything, so be sure to check back if you want to get the 'scoop' about Green Mountatin Coffee and learn more about what it means when something is "Fair Trade Certified."

Meanwhile, if you want to check out BzzAgent and see if it's a good fit for you, click here.

Sunday, October 6, 2013

A Little About the SheSpeaks Community

SheSpeaks is a great community site that is free to join, connect with other members, and try new products and share your opinions with not only the community, but also with family, friends, as well as whatever else social sites that you participate in. When you try product offerings and share what you think, this helps influence the product manufacturers hear what you have to say! Since being a member of SheSpeaks, I have found a lot of helpful ideas, taken interesting (optional) surveys (often with a chance to win gift cards or other prizes), and even gotten to try some new (full size) shipped products at no cost to me. The only thing they ask is to please share your honest opinions of whatever products you were given, as I have done here.
If you are interested in becoming a member of this fast-growing community, here's a quick linky to get you there. Check it out, and let me know what you think!