If you need a jolt about the value of low-cost investing, Vanguard has a brew for you.
The investing behemoth is serving a warm cup of metaphor this summer in a novel marketing campaign aimed at illustrating how pennies saved add up over time.
The company has released the At-Cost Café, a roving food truck that sells cups of premium coffee for $0.26, in select cities. Commuters could start their morning recently with a cup outside New York's Penn Station (and another, if desired, as it's buy one get one free).
Why $0.26?
Vanguard says its funds cost a fifth of the industry average, so their coffee costs a fifth of the going rate for a quality cup of Joe.
"Get a taste of how Vanguard does business," reads the pun- (and fun-) heavy campaign on its dedicated Web page.
"If you're wondering why one of the world's largest investment companies is selling premium coffee, here's the scoop. When you buy a great cup of coffee that's 1⁄5 the average price of coffee, you see for yourself that paying less means you keep more."
Vanguard rhetorically asks: How can it offer coffee — er — mutual funds, for less?
