Rebranding a coffee shop isn’t just about getting the look right, or serving {what we think} is the best coffee in town. Every element of the brand experience plays a part, how the brand identity comes to life in the space, the graphics on the walls and menu boards, even down to the uniforms. It’s about creating an experience that makes people feel good.
HOW I APPROACH THE RE-DESIGN:
Take into consideration the environment, culture and do you’re homework. In this case, it is a pre-existing coffee shop from a building expansion on a church campus. The church itself has been around for 120 years that is rich with tradition and history, it sits in the middle of a large city that also has more than a century of historic culture. To create a successful rebrand, we’ll combine historic tradition with a twist of modern functionality to reach a wide range of demographics.
SHARE THE SAME CREATIVE VISION:
This is the Holy Grail for any designer and client, the vision has to be the same from the outset. To design something different while delivering a visual experience, but also one which works to drive foot traffic to the coffee shop brand. For our rebrand, it was decided to use the old Red Line cable car that drove past the church property as the theme. Using this iconic element brings the history value into the project, combined with modern imagery and digital elements, this merges the two feels together.
Consider these tips while creating your rebrand success story
1. THE COFFEE SHOP IS A STAGE
An on-campus coffee shop is the biggest and one of the most expensive marketing tools a church has and it should be used for maximum effect. The coffee shop design as a whole is like a silent barista, talking to the customer in discreet ways, in a voice which makes them warm to your brand.
2. CUSTOMERS EAT WITH THEIR EYES
The way to a person’s stomach is through his or her eyes. Which is why mouth-watering food and drink display photography is key to the success of the menu. Creating appealing imagery will stimulate the perception of taste, aroma and appeal.
3. SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT
Graphic communication shouldn’t be bound to just the menu. The entire coffee shop is a canvas for imagery and messaging. Using digital platforms, such as plasmas, enables graphics to be updated and changed inexpensively, keeping the brand fresh and relevant. Graphics need to inspire the consumer, not just look pretty. Using good graphics and photography to tell a visual story can help customers to make a choice and navigate options more easily.
4. DESIGN AND OPERATION
To maintain a cohesive brand operation, be sure you put into place some strict visual merchandising rules to maintain an attractive display and easy to understand point of sale. This will aid your customer in their decision making at the register.
As the designer on rebranding the Red Car Cafe, I tapped into my professional insight to create an identity brought to life through branding and innovative graphics. Today’s consumers are smart and gravitate toward brands which mirror their view of themselves, responding less to logos-in-a-box style of thinking, they feel a connection with the history of the city and the church.