Rebranded Cafe Annam House was an extensive project during my six-month contract with The Annam House Co. Ltd. The coffee shop owner wanted to transform her French-styled house into a refined space for mindful customers to work and hold partner meetings. However, the previous marketing approach unintentionally positioned it as a location primarily for check-ins and personal photography.
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When I took on the role as a Marketing Strategist, my responsibility was to consult on a sustainable approach for the cafe, including: redesigned the beverage offerings, set a new price list blending general market affordability and operations cost, and developed content strategy.
❗The old brand positioning of CAH does not seem to work because "Little oasis amidst the bustling city" is a common concept in the beverage service industry rather than a unique selling point for a specific cafe. With just a quick flashback, one could recall 10+ cafes claiming to offer a quiet and peaceful space to escape the city's hustle.
⭐️ The new brand positioning: A co-working space in Hanoi offering high-quality yet affordable beverages, with exclusive perks.
To achieve the new positioning, we undertook extensive operational improvements:
1. Barista Training & Coffee Quality Enhancement
We found a trusted barista trainer to conduct intensive coffee classes for all in-house baristas, helping them understand the science and fundamentals behind a consistently great cup of coffee.
After the first two months: We confidently showcased latte art and ensured our black coffee offerings (espresso, Americano, etc.) met high-quality standards.
After three months: We officially launched our Cold Brew selections with stable quality and creative variations crafted by our team.
2. Operational Rework
We redesigned the second floor to create a true co-working space, ensuring members could sit comfortably for 10 hours straight.
We distinguished the operations between regular coffee visitors and co-working space members, introducing new house rules to maintain a quiet and productive work environment while not to offend first-time visitors.
3. Marketing & Communications
We positioned the space as a co-working environment offering high-quality drinks and pastries (specialty coffee, premium teas, artisanal cakes, etc.) and launched ad campaigns to attract our first members.
We introduced aggressive promotions, offering one free drink per day (with no price limit) to prove our beverage quality.
We cross-promoted curated home decor products from The Annam House with exclusive discounts for co-working members.
We continuously analyzed insights from ad campaigns, member feedbacks, and daily operations to refine our content, enhance photography, and introduce new services and benefits for our members.
