Sounds a bit basic i know but isn’t being the best at something the real key to a success story?
Take the example of Coffee 2 Go on Mespil Road. Every morning there’s a queue out the door. This despite the fact that within a 2 minute walk there is an O’Briens, 2 Insomnias, Donnybrook fair, Artizan and the biggest boy on the block -Starbucks.
Each offer a similar product and most of them would be considered bigger coffee ‘brands’ however one fact seems clear. Coffee 2 Go is better coffee. And Scones. Can’t forget the scones.
On face value this seems to be the case. Their coffee tastes better -according to a straw poll in the office – so naturally they should be more successful. However another factor may have something to do with it.
Let me explain, i’m interested in the topic of Behavioural Economics and recently and I attended a Marketing Society breakfast where Mark Earls discussed the principle behind his book Herd. The basic principle of which is that people behave in herds each copying the last etc etc. There’s a lot more to it or at least there must be to get a whole book out of it.
Anyway with that in mind what struck me about Coffee 2 Go is the queueing system. There isn’t much room in Coffee 2 Go to queue, in fact the counter is pretty much at the front door. The result is that if more than two people want to order the third person is the queue is standing in the street.
Now this may be a pure coincidence instead of a deliberate design feature but what it means is that for anyone passing by there appears to be a queue outside almost all of the time. Our instincts tell us that if the coffee is worth queueing for it must be good. I’d certainly be curious to see what the fuss was about.
Could this be key to their success? Are the customers passing by being ‘herded’ inside by their instincts? Are they walking straight by the biggest Coffee brand in the world because that’s what everyone else appears to be doing?
I think it’s certainly part of the reason but i also think they do something that is the cornerstone of any great company. They have a great product. It is really good coffee….and scones.
Patrick
Excellent observation, Patrick.
I’d imagine it’s a by-product of the till position. But it does make for an interesting thought.
All that would be nothing without great coffee to reward the queuing – but the unintentional PR arising from the herd effect is no doubt multiplying their success.
Ah, Coffee 2 Go…
An answer to my coffee prayers in Dublin.
I’m yet to teach them the art of making the famous Aussie ‘Flat White’ but they do a good brew. 20 x better tasting that SBs. I noticed this morning that the door is not wide enough for 2 people to move through thus capturing the target inside the till area for longer periods of time for that sneaky up-sell.
The loyalty card is simple, but works too.
JC