Wake up and smell the coffee – 29th September is International Coffee Day. Supported by the International Coffee organisation, it’s a celebration of our favourite brew that’s held every year, with events worldwide.
If you run an independent coffee business, then International Coffee Day brings lots of opportunities to boost your business. This month, we show you 5 easy ways you can capitalise on the event to maximise sales and promote your brand to customers.
1. Launch a loyalty scheme
Every coffee business can benefit from some kind of loyalty scheme – it’s an inexpensive way to build relationships with new customers, and to reward your regulars for buying from you time and time again.
International Coffee Day is the perfect time to launch a loyalty scheme, as there will be plenty of non-coffee drinkers trying out coffee as part of the event.
It’s a tried and tested technique that all the big brands use, and it’s really cost effective to launch – simply get yourself some branded stamp cards, and a special stamp, and let your customers work their way up to complimentary coffee.
2. Create something special
International Coffee Day is supposed to be a celebration – so it’s worth doing something special to mark the occasion.
Promoting fairly traded coffee has always been a big part of the day, so you might want to consider creating your own fairly traded blend. Alternatively, you could create a new style of coffee – just make sure it’s something exciting and different that will set you apart from the competition.
3. Run a drinks promotion
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to boost sales on International Coffee Day, and sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best.
Running a drinks promotion, with money off all coffees for the day, and promoting it via a sandwich board or banner whilst raising awareness about the day will help to drive sales and build relationships with potential customers.
4. Perk up your PR
There’s a serious side to International Coffee Day, and many people use the event to raise awareness about serious global issues surrounding coffee, like fair trade, working practices and child labour.
Why not do something special (and boost your business reputation) by giving a proportion of your profits for the day to a coffee related charity? Alternatively, you might want to do something in support of people in your local community.
Another great idea is to introduce the concept of a ‘suspended coffee’ amongst your customers. In essence, this means encouraging your customers to donate some money and pay for an extra coffee in advance for someone who can’t afford it.
It’s a practice that started in Naples, Italy to support homeless people, and is starting to catch on in the UK. It’s a great initiative that will boost your community and charity credentials. Suspended coffee programmes are also really easy to implement, and cost nothing apart from a little goodwill.
5. Celebrate your brand
International Coffee Day is the perfect excuse to shout about your brand.
Creating branded materials, like coasters, pens, key rings and fridge magnets, then giving them away with every cup is a great way to keep your brand fresh in the minds of customers, and will help you to spread the word about your business.
Become a coffee baron with help from Big Coffee
Have you always wanted to run a coffee business, but never had the confidence to make the move?
International Coffee Day is a great time to take the first steps to launching your own coffee empire, and at Big Coffee, we’re here to help you at every step of the way.
From supplying you with a superb, handcrafted coffee cart packed with top quality equipment, to supporting you with your business plan and providing you with essential skills and helpful advice, we’ll help you bring your coffee business to life.
For further information about starting a coffee business, call our friendly team of coffee experts on 01482 655020.
