Sip, Click, Repeat
Digital is omnipresent. It seems almost everything we do today at some point relies on digital. You can’t have a wild camping experience without finding it on Insta, booking online and paying by banking app. Long gone are the days of ’Print vs Digital’. Now it’s how these mediums can work together, merging physical and digital for the perfect consumer experience.
Sometimes there's just no substitute for the tactile nature of something physical – something to hold. Think of your favourite independent coffee shop. It’s gone from a place where we grab a coffee and run, or catch up with friends — to one where we’re likely to work, meet new clients or attend an evening workshop. They’ll have to serve great coffee and food, of course, but it’s the surroundings and things you touch, a handmade ceramic mug or a gorgeous piece of packaging, that really make the experience. Think menus printed on recycled paper and old school hand-stamped reward cards for the personal touch; placemats doubling up as this week’s menu to keep things fresh. It all gives the fingertips and eyes information to build a sense of quality and reality; something many of us desperately crave.
Now let’s look at the same coffee shop online. The digital marketing tools available open up a world of possibilities. Their website reminds us of what we’re missing, with amazing photography of a cosy interior, and an ad for live music at Sunday brunchtime. And if we can’t make that, it allows us to buy a pack of our favourite house blend. Their socials boast a set of impressive froth art shots and the lunch special to tempt us away from our home office; while a ping from the app drives our loyalty with one-to-one engagement and timely offers. They make us feel valued and part of something bigger.
Whether we’re grabbing a coffee en route to the office or setting up the laptop at our usual table, scrolling our Insta or sitting in their window, our coffee shop has all touch points on brand — with marketing that’s almost as silky as its lattes.
