Carte Noire Picks Heaven to Lead Its Social and Influence Push
Carte Noire, the heritage French coffee brand now owned by Lavazza, has appointed agency Heaven, after a competitive pitch, to run its social media and influence across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, built around a rotating 'crew' of content creators.
The Appointment
Announced on 29 September, Carte Noire selected Heaven following a competitive pitch to manage its social media strategy and influence marketing. Heaven will build content around coffee culture, rituals and everyday usage, tailored to the codes of each platform.
The centrepiece is a creator 'crew': a roster of content creators, each bringing their own interpretation of the brand through dedicated content. It is a deliberate shift from one-off influencer posts toward an ongoing, multi-voice presence.
Why the 'Crew' Model Matters
The creator-crew approach is where sophisticated social marketing is heading. Rather than renting a single big influencer for a burst of reach, brands are assembling small stables of creators who post consistently and lend the brand many authentic voices instead of one borrowed one.
For a heritage brand like Carte Noire, competing in a crowded French coffee aisle against premium capsules and challenger roasters, always-on creator content is a way to stay culturally present between big campaigns, without the cost of constant paid media.
The Heritage-Brand Challenge
Carte Noire carries decades of French brand equity but must stay relevant to younger, platform-native drinkers. The risk for any legacy brand is that its social feed feels like a broadcast channel rather than a conversation.
Handing social and influence to a specialist, and structuring it around creators rather than corporate posts, is Carte Noire's bet that relevance now comes from participation in culture, not polished announcements.
What Marketers Can Learn
If you run a heritage brand, audit whether your social presence sounds like your ads or like the people you want to reach. The gap between the two is usually where relevance leaks away.
Then consider the crew model: a handful of consistent, on-brand creators can build more durable affinity than a single celebrity blast. Consistency and authenticity, at manageable cost, beat one expensive moment of reach.
Quick FAQ
Which agency did Carte Noire appoint?
Heaven, chosen after a competitive pitch to lead Carte Noire's social media and influence across Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
What is a creator 'crew'?
A roster of content creators who each interpret the brand in their own voice with dedicated, ongoing content, rather than a single influencer hired for a one-off campaign.
Who owns Carte Noire?
Carte Noire is a heritage French coffee brand now owned by the Italian group Lavazza.
Heritage brands don't lose relevance because their product ages; they lose it because their social feed still sounds like a TV ad. Carte Noire building a creator crew is the right instinct: many authentic voices, posting consistently, beat one borrowed celebrity moment. Relevance now comes from taking part in culture, not announcing at it. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
For legacy brands, a consistent crew of on-brand creators builds more durable relevance than a single big-name influencer blast.
Does your brand's social feed sound like your ads, or like your audience? Tell us how you'd close the gap.
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: CB News, The Media Leader and TOP/COM.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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