Swiss Water is opening coffee shops in New York City that only serves decaffeinated coffee. I know, you are wondering, what is the point. Right?
About 10% of the population prefers decaf over caffeinated coffee, so once again you have a company whose marketing focus is to concentrate on a segment of the market often overlooked by others.
Roasted in small batches using water, temperature and time, this company is dedicated to delivering 99.9% caffeine free coffee with all the flavor of high test. They use a proprietary method for roasting and offer their customers a different way to enjoy coffee. Buzz-free.
Caffeine-Free Marketing
The Caffeine Free Coffee Shop is a great example of focusing on something most brands are ignoring.
Why remove the essence of what a category is known for like alcohol-free wine or beer. One company pays attention to the color of the soul of a shoe where most shoe sellers don’t think twice about this aspect of the cateogry. (Christian Louboutin). Ikea is a company who unlike all furniture stores, makes you assemble what you buy. In each case, there is a focus on something most businesses either ignore or take for granted.
If you are starting a business, can you deconstruct the category you are in and ask, what isn’t anyone else focusing on? How could you pay attention to some attribute, some feature, some service that is often secondary or mostly ignored. Can you develop a differentiation strategy by focusing on what is often overlooked?
Deconstruct before you Construct
Here is a simple little exercise to do if you are thinking about starting a business or launching a new product.
- Find a whiteboard.
- Put a line in the middle.
- On the left side list all of the accepted conventions of your category or industry. In other words, what does everyone else do who participates in that vertical market?
- Pick one or two of the conventions, that you think you can eliminate, change or put more focus on compared with everyone in the category.
- Brainstorm what a business (product or service) might look like if you ignore or hyper-focus on one vital element that others ignore.
Before you build something, you need to understand your competitive environment.
Swiss Water is using this pop-up store, to help promote the benefits of decaffeinated coffee. They are looking to publicize their process for decaffeination, not to really enter the coffee shop business. But their tactic, does raise the question of how to focus on some area that no one else is paying attention to within your category.
If you want to open a florist shop, what could you do that no one else pays attention to that could help you grow your brand, apart from the category? What if you opened up a patriotic flower store only sold flowers that were red, white and blue, You hire vets to do the delivery.
I don’t know of any luggage or shoe repair shop that delivers. Would customers pay for this convenience?
Where is the anti-bread, low-carb sandwich shop that uses lettuce instead of bread to hold together your mid-day meal?
What is being ignored by your competitors that you could shine a light on? Whether you are making apps or appetizers, software or silverware, what can you do to distance yourself from the others you compete with in the category?
How can you become a category of one?
Looking for a jolt to help you build a business, a brand or a new product? Let’s have coffee.
