Black Rifle Coffee is a remarkable marketing story. They are built on the core idea that they serve Veterans, military, and gun culture AND Starbucks is the enemy. Coffee is a by-product.
Founded in December 2014 by a former Green Beret, Evan Hafer, he sold his Freedom Roast through a friend’s clothing website. It did so well that he built his site and brand.
As of 2020, they had 10,000 subscribers and physical stores in several places in Texas. They also wholesale to firing ranges, Bass Pro Shops, and other similar outlets where gun culture thrives.
By 2018, they were selling $30 MM worth of coffee and employed 200 people; 40% were veterans. The company got into an online fight with Starbucks over who was going to hire more people. Starbucks, a thousand times larger, said they would hire 10,000 immigrants while Black Rifle would hire 10,000 veterans. The founders cleverly used social media and the idea of belonging as a way to differentiate themselves.
The company is raising money, and you can read about their $230 MM in revenue and a valuation of more than $1B in this prospectus.
Caffeinated Lessons
- Generalists rarely win. If you don’t stand and serve a community, it isn’t easy to build one, especially for everyone. It makes more sense to become part of an existing community and position your brand to serve them. It must be authentic, but it is beautifully illustrated by Black Rifle’s approach to the marketplace.
- Be the opposite of someone big and powerful. They knew that if liberal Democrats favored Starbucks, then Black Rifle could be for right-wing Republicans who don’t want “elitist fancy, frilly Frappuccino’s.” Of course, coffee is coffee – but like Coke had Pepsi, Black Rifle had their sites on Starbucks. So, they could define their brand by being the opposite of Starbucks and making them their brand’s enemy.
- People Buy the Intangibles. Let’s face it, in blind taste tests, Pepsi always beat Coke, but Coke had the bigger brand, and over decades of great marketing, Coke won. The intangibles mean that when people grab a Coke or Pepsi or Starbucks or Black Rifle, there is a lot of irrational reasoning for preference not based on which tastes better or a better value. When you can tap into emotional drivers as part of your value, you can find yourself winning the battle in the marketplace.
Who does your brand serve? Teacher, left-handed gardeners, gay dentists, mid-west librarians, or 50-year-old grandmothers? Who is your brand’s nemesis? Is it clear to your team who is your natural enemy and the opposite of your brand?
You sometimes define your brand by who you serve and what “enemy” can clarify your marketing position, strategies and tactical actions.
You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free, and we can explore if working together makes sense. Watch a short video about working with me.
Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash
Photo of Black Rifle Coffee courtesy of Black Rifle Coffee
