CCD aimed to become more than just a coffee shop, but a hangout place that was part of customers' lives. To do so, CCD paid attention to customer insights about changing lifestyles and preferences. It allowed customers to decide what CCD meant to them rather than imposing a single positioning. CCD also engaged customers through social media to better understand tastes and co-create new menu items. By being responsive to feedback in a constructive manner, CCD was able to strengthen its relationships with customers and continue growing its business in India.
2. objective here is to endear consumer, make them a partner and make them join the CCD group,” says
Ramakrishnan.
The chain also felt that engaging with customers was more important than just informing them amidst a
deluge of information. Therefore, instead of going for „brand communication‟, CCD went for „brand
conversation‟. The brand used social media as a platform to reach out to fans and start conversation with
them. At the same time, it utilised the platform to become a symbol of collective individualism which
today‟s youth practice. It played a catalyst on its Facebook page to engage consumers in meaningful
conversation where they could express their opinion on the brand. The CCD philosophy, according to
Ramakrishnan, is “Don‟t talk at consumers. Talk with them. Be part of the group that your consumers
are.”
Realising that there was no possibility of typecasting, the chain did a lot of co-creation in terms of its
product development through consumer engagement on social media platform. “If their (customers‟) taste
is ephemeral, then changes in your offerings have to be swifter, faster and you should keep it moving on.
So, conversation with millions of our fans help us to decide what our next menu will be,” says
Ramakrishnan.
CCD also handled its social media campaign very cautiously. While it remained open to receive
consumers‟ criticism, it believed in being fair to them by addressing their concerns in a very constructive
way. “If you are fair, your fans and consumers will definitely be giving you a chance. They don‟t post a
problem saying solve it now, here and immediately. They get out of hand when you don‟t respond to it,”
says Ramakrishnan, adding, “Consumers are always ready to give yet another chance to a brand if it is
sincere about solving an issue.”
Results
CCD has not only realised the potential of the market in the country but also created a new coffee culture
in India. It is the success of CCD that has pushed the international players like Starbucks to foray into the
Indian market. With its 1,180 cafes, and a million fans on its Facebook page, CCD has itself become a
place for branding and marketing. Having gone for expansion with its operational efficiency basis training
mechanism, supervisory mechanism and audit mechanism, the chain aims to reach to a number of 2000
cafes by 2014.