Coffee with Sensory Marketing

Starbucks understands sensory branding, and in particular olfactory marketing. The wonderful aroma of a good coffee shop is a great selling and branding tool – this is particularly important since research shows that the majority of the experience of drinking espresso comes from the coffee shop experience itself. Now, Starbucks has announced that they will quit serving breakfast. Why? Because the smell of heating egg and cheese sandwiches interferes with the coffee aroma.

This is a fairly amazing reason to drop what was supposed to have been a major growth product line, and shows that some companies really DO understand sensory marketing and branding. With McDonald’s also competing with Starbuck’s on the beverage front (coffee), this becomes even more interesting.

If you look at the Indian market, CCD gave Indian consumers the Starbuck’s coffee experience and catered to the new generation of coffee drinkers. Some of the CCD’s have also stared serving breakfast and I am sure that’s doing well in terms of topline and bottom line contribution. I am sure CCD would also face a similar problem that Starbuck’s is facing but are they ready to give up the major growth product line just to ensure a right SENSORY MARKETING AND BRANDING.

WAIT AND WATCH……………