How to build your own boutique coffee brand? A case study of boutique cafes

Are you still dreaming of opening your own coffee shop or coffee roaster, but holding back because you have no idea about running a business?

The answer to this question is simple. You can be the best barista in the world and easily win bonuses and honors in the barista competition, but in the final analysis, what you have to strive for is to meet the needs of consumers every day, but this is a completely different ability, and to put it simply, is sales.

Brand sales is the most critical, so now, we all ask: how to build your own brand?

Mike Murphy

Take Mike as an example. Mike is the general manager of Kokako Organic Coffee Roasters in Auckland, New Zealand. Kokako has been a household name for years because of its organic coffee and Fairtrade (Fairtrade is an organized social movement that promotes a standard of fairness in global labor, environmental protection and social policies, ranging from handicrafts to agricultural products among the Fairtrade labels and related products. The campaign pays special attention to exports from developing countries to developed countries) and the continuity of the brand, and is also known for its product quality and design. This is a trusted brand whose reputation is getting better and better because of its value.

A brand is a story, and a good story takes many years to build. Mike has established his own brand since 2007. It was eight years ago when he took over, and before that it was just a restaurant brand.

Didn't you say that Kokako is a coffee baker? How did it become a catering company? Yes, Mike has told me many times that "brands are evolving all the time". In the year when Mike took over, the company had moved towards organic coffee and obtained Fairtrade certification. Today, it is an organic coffee roaster focused on boutique coffee, and there is also a flagship store that offers Espresso and other soft drinks every day.

Three rules for building a coffee brand

1. Your brand should resonate with your own values

Mike says he wants to focus on the brand, and his personality and values have formed a whole for Kokako. His company inherited his philosophy: mutual respect, constant thinking, generosity and perfectionism, and communalization, which is why the brand thrives.

two。 Differences

Mike feels that there is a demand for organic coffee and to maintain its sustainability, which is also a vital element of the Kokako brand as an organic and fair trade. The flagship store has been widely recognized by consumers because they focus on recycling waste into composting and packaging.

3. Tell a story

Is there a story behind your product that belongs to them? What about your company? The stories behind the brand can make your consumers feel that they are closely connected to your team. It should be mentioned here that an enterprise must become more trusted by consumers, which is the meaning of its existence and real without affectation.

The value of a brand does not lie in the consumption of its products; it is the communication between consumers and its logo, name and story.

What does boutique coffee mean to you?

What does fine coffee mean to you? Yes, for Mike, boutique coffee is not just their cup test score. Boutique coffee is also linked to consumption, and there is a subtle relationship between what consumers should drink and what they want to drink; boutique coffee is exploring the balance between the two.

Be the most special one, not the most common one.

Business success means that your brand must be top-notch for your business. The success is that it must stand out from following the rules. Then discover your value, create something of your own, tell them your own story, and stick to it!