Specialty Coffee Retailer

!PRIL¬¬¬s¬¬WWWSPECIALTYCOFFEECOM¬\¬21 EXCLUSIVITY L-T M S PIQUET'S PRINCIPLES B J P I was talking to a friend and restaurant owner three weeks a er re-opening, following our remodel. Knowing he will need to close to add a second bar to his restaurant, he asked, "Have you got your regular business back yet?" "Yes," I replied. "We were hoping to ease into it, but the day we came back was the busiest three-day stretch we've ever had." "You were closed for what, a month?" he asked. "Two and a half," I replied. "What did you do??" I simply stated, "We have loyal customers." But the truth goes far beyond that. How do you create unwavering brand loyalty within your market, and ultimately outside of your market as well? In January I wrote about the importance of adopting quality as your founding principle. In February it was how to use quality as a basis to position your co ee shop in your market. And in March I recommended thinking outside the box when choosing a roaster. e conscious execution of these strategies along with dynamic innovation will enable you to create a speci c position for your brand: exclusivity. Simply put, exclusivity is the best long-term marketing strategy for a small co ee shop owner to create and maintain constant growth. As I mentioned in my piece on positioning, whether you are rst or last, you are still one within that trend or niche market, vying for customers, shelf space and general notoriety. Being the leader in a niche market isn't the same as exclusivity, as you still share that space. However, if you position yourself in front of and outside this trend, then you'll create an unassailable operating position. Exclusivity is a better long- term marketing strategy than any position within a trend or niche market. Exclusivity begins with a foundation of excellence. Without excellence, there is no exclusivity. For the small co ee shop owner, a long-term strategy needs to be adopted in order to create a business that can succeed despite any potential challenge, whether it's new co ee shop openings or changes in the local economic climate. For the small business owner, net pro ts trump gross revenue every time. And if you create a value and price point for your co ee shop that requires a high volume, you have forced yourself to rely on maintaining numbers through the door rather than gaining dollars in your bank account. What is exclusivity, and how do you create it? If you start with exclusivity as a long-term strategy, you can make the necessary decisions to get you there. Exclusivity is about delivering excellence in a manner that is not available anywhere within your market. If you create a model with characteristics that extend its rarity beyond your local borders, then you will strengthen the customers' perception of what you do tenfold. is concept exists in many other types of business. Perhaps the most obvious example to look at is Apple. ere's only one Apple. If you want that experience, you can't get it with Linux, nor can you get it with a PC. If you want the Apple experience, you can only get it by buying Apple. Apple is de ned by their excellence, innovation, units produced and strategically limited accessibility. Apple is a master of exclusivity, and its marketing concepts are adaptable and scalable to any business. In a nutshell, producing a unique brand of product or service excellence that can only be obtained from a single source, and/or in a limited fashion is what I would call exclusivity. e more factors you have that make you "the one and only," the more you will establish and maintain insane brand loyalty and an unassailable position within a market space that extends far beyond your local borders. SCR John Piquet is a roaster, barista and siphon brewing specialist at ca e d'bolla in Salt Lake City; which he co-owns and operates with his beautiful wife Yiching. 21 Piquet Principels SCR0414.indd 21 4/4/2014 7:31:21 AM

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