The challenge
Consumer buying and coffee consumption habits had changed. La Cafetière, the once leading kitchen accessories designer and manufacturer, was in trouble. Sales had declined, and retailers were squeezing margins. They knew that unless they changed, revenue and profit would get worse.
They were down, but by no means out.
La Cafetière had a good reputation, excellent products, a committed team, and great ideas. But few products in their range were distinctive. Their most significant flaws were an unclear proposition and failing to move with the times. Clinging on to old sales channels saw them left behind.
We helped La Cafetière with:
The thinking
They had to get moving. We suggested they ditched their retail focus. And instead, form a La Cafetière brand experience. This was a growing trend given the high street’s decline.
It was hard for the business to think past retail. But to move forward, they had to observe ‘influence’ markets. Namely, environments where consumers drank hot drinks. What settings had consumers built positive associations with? What experiences did they want to emulate in their own homes? And how did they view La Cafetière’s products?
We needed answers.
Our team conducted research on the La Cafetière stand at the BBC Good Food Show. We found consumers were more likely to associate La Cafetière products with treating themselves, rather than everyday use. This was where sales volumes lay.
The task ahead was clear. Consumer perception had to change. People needed to view enjoying an exceptional hot drink experience with friends as an everyday habit. And importantly, associate that experience with the La Cafetière brand and its products. It was our job to make that happen.
To build these associations La Cafetière needed stronger targeting, messaging, and new sales channels. ‘Push’ communications [talking to retailers and consumers in store] needed to switch to ‘pull’. They had to target customers so they’d buy direct.
With 66 Million adults in the UK, the big question was which consumers to target? Research pointed to A, B, and possibly C1 socio-economic groups. Consumers who had money, and would spend it on luxuries.
The impact
La Cafetière wanted to bolster their product design heritage. Graphic design would play a pivotal role in repositioning the brand, and boosting its visual appeal.
We had to signal change to retailers and customers while tipping our hats to the past. So, our team examined and updated the business’s visual brand elements. Starting with the logo – its foundation.
The first round of logo designs we created echoed the existing ones’ origins. But they were more refined. They expressed modernity and elegance. We underpinned the final design with a tagline. It was playful, upbeat and less product focused – ‘We’re hot on drinks’.
We chose to use fresh colourways and typography across eight new packaging designs and Point of Sales material. Emotive hero photography portrayed aspirational environments. Showing people enjoying a ‘coffee culture experience’ in the home. La Cafetière’s products took centre stage.
The striking new designs made consumers wake up and smell the coffee.
Over 40 products were re-photographed. These shots formed the backbone of La Cafetière’s new sales channel – an E-commerce website, which we were also asked to design.
After the site was launched, a precisely planned Pay-per-Click and traditional advertising campaign drove traffic. La Cafetière had moved with the times – and saw sales climb.
We let our clients do the talking
“We had a very ambitious UK and European sales drive and needed extensive marketing communications support to ensure that we were fully aligned across all consumer and trade communications. Intermedia displayed a very targeted and strategic approach to all work and that was exactly what we were looking for.”
Managing Director, La Cafetière
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