Thursday, November 01, 2012

Simplicity and our Church Cafe


How’s this for the effectiveness of Simplicity.

In our Church Centre Café we wanted to see an increase in our takings by capitalising on our prime City Centre position and high volume passing foot traffic. It seemed we were missing potential custom. We pondered involving a marketing ‘expert’ to advise us. We racked our brains about how we might attract more trade. Mass publicity, leaflet drops, all sorts of ideas were mooted ….. Until someone suggested we try a handwritten menu on a chalkboard A-Board outside the café entrance that people walking along the pavement could not miss. We already had an A Board that looked boringly clinical and corporate but our handwritten chalkboard really gives an authenticity to our café that the other A Board did not offer.

BINGO! .… it has worked and how!

We have had record takings for the last month or so. New customers are coming back and also telling their friends. What’s the evidence? - I can say anecdotally that every time I put the board out someone walking along the pavement will stop and look. I take the opportunity to do some live research with those people and ask them if they knew previously we were a café – usually people say “I’d no idea until this board appeared – but now I’ll pop in”
The cost of asking some marketing expert would have been massively out of our budget range.

The cost of our authentic chalkboard was £35 from EBay
Simplicity works!

4 comments:

Brian Ward said...

Love it!!! Now, how can I make something like this work for management consulting? Hmmm...

Trevor Gay said...

Good question mate. The simplicity of this was that the idea came NOT from some alleged marketing expert but a front line employee. Maybe you can ask one of your clients front line employees to suggest ideas to promote your good work.

JOHN O'LEARY said...

Displays work. It's as simple as that. Even though I couldn't eat anything on that menu. :-)

Trevor Gay said...

I will make sure the menu is 'O'Leary friendly' for when you visit us my friend