|
Where I live, there's 2 coffee shops that've recently opened within weeks of each other (and within 200m of each other).
One of them I made sure to check it out as soon as they opened…& the other one? I don't even remember the name.
The first one pretty much instantly became the NEXT BIG THING in our little village, and the other one, well, kinda didn't.
So what do you reckon it takes to have everybody RAVING about your cafe? To have every table full, every day? To have people sharing & tagging & shouting from the rooftops that they had the BEST eggs benny ever??
What did they DO, that the other shop didn't? Well, I'm sure the eggs benny is delectable (I've only tried the carrot cake. 10/10).
But WHAT ELSE?
Pre Opening:
THEY WORKED IN PUBLIC
Which means as soon as they were handed the keys to the building they'd bought, over the following few months they were sharing reels & IG stories & posts on social media showing all of the renovations they were doing (literally behind the scenes - the place wasn't visible from the street). So basically one of the oldest strategies in ye olde marketing playbook: They took their community along for the ride.
This built anticipation, & helped us onlookers feel like we were part of this story about the much loved heritage building going from ugly duckling to beautiful swan.
THEY COUNTED DOWN TO A LAUNCH DATE
Once they had a good idea of when they'd be open for business, they announced it - & repeated that message again, & again, & again. They weren't shy about letting people know how pumped they were about pretty much everything! And that kinda excitement is palpable, & again makes you feel like you're a part of this unfolding story.
THEY LED WITH THEIR POV & USP
They also made it clear (& repeated this message) how passionate they are about the local community, and working with local growers for supplying the goods for as much of their menu as possible. Seeing as it's a big farming community here, this was an extremely powerful point of difference.
They also regularly shared that they are a young family that loves where they live, & were (again) so pumped to be serving up incredible fare in this beautiful location, & very well known heritage building. As a local, front facing business, these clear connections to their community are of COURSE gonna be welcomed with open arms.
AND they crafted a strong USP by filling the glaring GAPS in the local cafe market. They obviously could sense that the community was gagging for a cafe that not only served amazing food, but one that also had a modern vibe that beckons you to sit & sip & stay a while (something that's lacking in many a country town) - which attracts everyone from the boomers to the yummy mummy's to the cool business peeps attached to their cell phones + laptops. PLUS! They created irresistible elements to their offers that almost no one else is doing here - Friday night share boards & cocktails anyone? (don't smirk you city folk, that's a big deal here lmao)
|
