Truth coffee business pivot
I was so excited for my first day, like a kid ready for school, I had my favourite sneakers on, my lucky pen, a fresh notebook and more snacks. The campus had changed a lot since I last attended, and not just how it looked with all the fencing and gates, it felt different too. There was a quiet excitement in the air but also a sense of dread at the COVID-19 screening and sign-in. The beloved design building wasn't yet buzzing with students, so it wasn't overwhelming and we were able to adhere to social distancing for the briefing.
The first project of the course had us paired up and exploring the city for a local coffee shop or eatery. I was so nervous about this since I didn't know anyone and was worried I may not have a partner, but it turned out okay and a met an interesting person through this exercise. For the brief, the eatery would have been affected by the COVID-9 pandemic and we were to think of ways the business could pivot by collaborating with another business. It was quite exciting to get thinking creatively and be out and about after being cooped up indoors for a long time. My partner and I came across Truth Coffee in Buitenkant street and were intrigued by the steampunk décor and feeling of the restaurant. The iconic bar is surrounded by old artefacts and machinery and the waitrons and baristas don top hats, leather waistcoats and goggles.
We were fortunate enough that the manager found a few minutes to sit with us and discuss some of the challenges they faced as a business who was unable to sell alcohol for periods of time and that most of their customer base was tourists, which they lost due to travel bans. For the business pivot, we proposed pairing with a local company that sourced unique and speciality coffee products. These products would be used by the steampunk baristas in a masterclass video series. Customers would be able to buy entry into the class and receive the product delivered to their door and be able to participate in the online class.
It was really satisfying to dust off some creative thinking skills and produce a campaign I was proud of.
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