THE MARKETING STRATEGY OF CAFES

Abstract

Despite the recent regional crisis, cafes seem to have prevailed. Coffee culture has infiltrated Singapore particularly along Orchard Road. These western-style coffee houses were pioneered by the first Coffee Club outlet in Holland Village in 1991. Other coffee chains have jumped on the bandwagon ever since, attracting a clientele of young adults and students. The coffee culture involves just relaxing with a good cup of coffee after work, school and shopping to read, draw or watch the world go by. In addition to speciality coffee, most cafes offer light refreshments in a more casual setting than a regular restaurant. There is no manual for success, the marketing strategy is merely a facet of how cafe managers apply their knowledge, experience and insights to enable their cafes to succeed in a dynamic market. In the marketing strategy of cafes, the customer base has to be defined first followed by the adoption of an appropriate marketing mix.