Opinions on Marketing to increase coffee sales

cafe112 · September 2011

Just wanted everyone's opinion on what would be the best type of marketing to increase coffee sales without cheaping the brand.

We do get alot of compliments from our regular customers since changing the bean over to a specialty blend but coffee sales are still at the same level.

I know "word of mouth" is the main one but that takes quite sometime to kick in.
Looking for an effective strategy to get more customers to try the coffee.

askthecoffeeguy · September 2011

Try Ecoffeecard - it's a digital loyalty card that's available on all smartphones - it's free to use, it's loads of fun, and it's seriously nerdy but in a good way, and it's a local initiative My coffee sales are good but there's always room for improvement and post GEC you've got to take the fight to the people ! Say Patrick from foxy brown sent you and I may wind up with a free coffee !

beanflying · September 2011

Depending on your area get on your bike and deliver some 2 for 1 cards with an expiry date on them. Just do the surrounding 3 or 4 blocks for a start and count the number of cards you get back. If it works then do another few blocks in a month. Do it along the lines of come and give us a try and bring a friend for a great coffee "now using Brand X coffee". This might spark some interest from the coffee nerds too. Local repeats are where the money is.

mycuppa · September 2011

This is really a case of SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. I suggest taking a very close look at everything your cafe does and then compare it to the competition in your area before launching any marketing campaign. This way you will know how to leverage what might be a strength or opportunity. First step is perform a diagnostic review to ensure things are working in your cafe - I continue to be surprised how many owners/operators have a different view to customers. Best way is to enlist the help of 2 or 3 experienced coffee people, tell them to be quite critical and observant and play the role of the mystery shopper with 3 types of orders. Walk in and sit down coffee, a takeaway coffee and a coffee with some food and/or cakes. This will give you some parameters on how your establishment is performing across the various offerings. The sorts of criteria you need to judge are...... Is the coffee correct and consistent (perhaps most important) Is the service prompt and pleasant Was the food OK (muffins/cake dry, small portions, bland taste, etc.) These are the 3 main areas that if not all working perfectly at the same time may cause a person to try somewhere else after they have experienced your place. Secondary concerns (also important) are...... Can I get a table when I want to sit down. Is it overly noisy from sounds bouncing off harsh surfaces. Once you have a good understanding of your cafe's performance, then you need to closely inspect the competition - how busy are they at different times of the day (especially when you are not busy), what is on their menu, etc. Ask some of your regular customers if they have tried places nearby and why they like to come into your cafe. Look for opportunities to differentiate and take a bold step to promote an idea in a fun way to get the punter inside your cafe. Unfortunately, the cafe coffee game is primarily about stealing customers from your competition, not converting non-drinkers. It's rarely about price as this is easily matched and undercut. More often than not it's about true performance and the customer experience that determines whether someone becomes a regular. Most coffee drinkers dont understand who or what is specialty coffee and brands mean very little these days in saturated markets. It's all down to the barista and the service..........human factors. People will come for your coffee if you make it special - the 200+ coffee outlets in the Melbourne CBD mean nothing, if someone wants a memorable cup, they will cross many street or the town for it.

askthecoffeeguy · September 2011

research has also shown that whatever happens inside your four walls is the most effective form of marketing as it reaches your target audience so refocusing your efforts on quality control, looking at new ways to innovate to produce a superior product and service, and having effective marketing / promotional material on hand - such as catering menus that customers can take away with them - is the most efective way of getting your message across also putting the focus back onto each and every coffee that you make, and product that you serve, and making them not only the best that you can make, but by applying 'worlds best practise' - especially with regard to coffee - can set you aside from the your competitors and here barista competition training and a knowledge of how coffees are crafted at this level, plus a willingness to embrace the quality ingredients necessary to produce a quality cuppa, are required (IMHO at least) hope this helps, Pat

Ronin · September 2011

Look into direct response marketing. Best bang for buck marketing IMOP.

MoffeeCoff · March 2012

Pricing is all over the place. Some trying to sell their round or location as part of it to boost the price (generally crazy prices) down to some who seem to be either caught short of a $ or are just happy to get out.