Remarkable or nuts? Perhaps both...

Dean Cycon appears to be a loon. But he's also not afraid to try and make his company remarkable.

His company, Dean's Beans Organic Coffee Company, buy all it's beans (around 250,000 pounds last year) from Third World farmers at the "Fair Trade" price, which is more than double the market price. Compared to Starbucks (1%,) or Seattle's Best (.5%) that's quite a feat for someone who wants to remain in business.

Cycon's marketing strategy appears to consist largely of blasting other companies for not buying 100% free trade coffee (which I guess is one way to try and differentiate yourself, albeit not a course I would pursue.) He's even railed against the likes of renowned do-gooder Paul Newman.

Inc. Magazine makes an interesting observation when it says, "the company is competing for a very specific niche of consumers--and if doing so means alienating mainstream clients, Cycon frankly doesn't care. That's not a mindset that makes sense for a lot of brands, but it can for one that is driven by ideology."

Cycon may indeed be a quack. But he's also a premarketer.