Disloyalty: are you game to encourage it?

I read recently of a unique marketing approach by Gwilym Davies, who is the current World Barista Champion. Basically he gives you a card and encourages you to try out his competition. Buy eight coffees from eight identified quality coffee places in East London and when you present the completed card you’ll get a free coffee.

Not only has he tapped into the experiential coffee culture where it is increasingly being marketed like wine, but he is confidently saying his coffee is one of the leading brands. He is also subtly saying “try out my competitors and then finish with the best”!

Got me thinking…how many businesses here in Australia would be willing to put themselves to such a test? Instead of enticing customers to “buy 2 and get the 3rd at 50% off” they encouraged their customers to try out the competition and be rewarded for it! 

Gwilym is obviously passionate about his craft and his business. He is willing to put his reputation on the line and also engage in a meaningful conversation with well informed customers – no doubt they give him lots of useful feedback when they come to redeem their cup. 

And, of course, this is a savvy PR stunt as well. Like all effective marketing it is working on more than one level.

A crazy idea? Possibly. But can it act as a challenge to your offering?

If you immediately recoil, why is that? Is it because you are worried that your customers will not come back? Is your point of difference, in fact, illusory?
We are all passionate about our businesses and our brands – or we should be! But quite often we are blinded to the fact that the widget we offer is no different to the one down the road. 

During some downtime (hopefully!) over Christmas I implore you to really consider:

• Am I any different to my competition? 

• Why would someone buy from me and not them? 

• How can I develop, refine or as in the case of Gwilym, turbo charge my point of difference?

Easy to do? No. 

Worth it in the long run? Without doubt!