There are now over 60,000 coffee shop locations across the United States, and countless other bakeries and specialty shops that serve coffee and related beverages. This makes the coffee shop one of the most highly competitive retail environments in the U.S. And one of the easiest ways to differentiate your business is with fun specialty drinks your customers love because specialty drinks provide customers with the staple products they expect while also providing your business with a product to:
- Increase your profit
- Help promote your shop’s brand
A frozen drink that costs $5 or $6 may have a 30% COGS but adds an impressive $4.20 in profit. The combination of profit potential and the higher likelihood of a guest ordering several times a week means frozen drink offerings are a crucial component to accelerate your business year-round. And these higher margins mean you can discount these products to cost effectively promote your shop.
From shops where frozen drinks are already a staple to those just adding them to the menu, here are a few simple promotional ideas to try.
“DRINK OF THE WEEK” OR “DRINK OF THE MONTH”
With higher margins on frozen drinks, and the flexibility that Polar Powder Drink Mix provides to create dozens of drink variations, plus its stable price, you can leverage it to offer a fun drink at a discounted price. We support this effort with easy-to-use recipes making it simple for you to create taste adventures for your customers on a regular basis.
YOU CAN PUSH “DRINK OFFER” THIS ON SOCIAL TO MAKE YOUR SOCIAL FEED STICKY
A website and social media sites optimized for mobile devices are now a minimum requirement. Where service industry locations used to rely on word of mouth as their primary marketing tool, today’s entrepreneur knows the business’s digital footprint is often a consumer’s first introduction to a new coffee shop.
But it’s not the technical approach that drives customers to your doorstep, it is content. The average person spends 2.5 hours daily on various social media channels. Not having a strong digital presence means you’re missing out on dozens of potential customers daily. You can use your frozen drinks and your “Drink of the Week” to stay relevant in your customer’s social feeds.
A well-made frozen drink, with its appealing colors and styling (think mountains of whipped cream and chocolate drizzle on a coffee-based frozen drink, or a small tropical flower on a drink from the tropical flavor palette), is a natural digital billboard for your business.
And good professional quality images can be used on multiple platforms, alongside customer reviews on Yelp and Google, and as content on a shop’s own Instagram page. Frozenta can offer you some content support in this area. Reach out to our team to learn more.
DON’T FORGET TO REACH OUT TO OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES IN YOUR SERVICE AREA
A coffee shop owner is uniquely positioned to build relationships in the community. Other business owners drink frozen drinks. Their employees drink frozen drinks. Treat these business owners as local micro-influencers and build relationships with them. Make it clear you can offer their customers and employees the same discounted drinks as an incentive.
As employees return to traditional face-to-face employment, smart businesses recognize the need to make the workplace just as friendly and inviting as the comfort of the work-from-home environment. Use this insight and partner with local owners to help them delight their employees and customers with a fun frozen drink.
OFFER TASTING MENUS AND FREE SAMPLING
Every season now seems to have its own flavor palette. East Coast summers mean lobster rolls, fresh veggies, corn on the cob. And fall means pumpkin spice everything. Each region has its own popular flavors and food traditions, ones that can easily be incorporated into your frozen drink menu—think peppermint candy canes in the holiday season, or fresh and fruity flavors in spring.
Providing customers with samples of frozen drinks, putting great flavor in their hands, not only advertises your product but subtly reminds each customer that your place of business is a place of hospitality and welcome.
And customers do not have to set foot in your store to be made aware of a great new addition to your menu. Digital and physical coupons are proven tools to bring new purchasers into your business.
INCLUDE FROZEN DRINKS IN YOUR CONVENTIONAL PROMOTIONS
Be aware of all marketing tools that are available for shops, and know what works in your area:
- Bounceback receipt promotions
- Loyalty cards
- Seasonal offerings
- Printed sleeves and cups
DON’T FORGET SEASONAL OFFERS AND TAP INTO THE FUN AND UNIQUE FLAVOR PROFILES
And finally, just like the near-endless drink possibilities you can create with Frozenta Polar Powder, the only limit on promotion is your creativity. Seasonal offerings, unique flavor profiles, and regionally inspired menus are all regular features in successful shops, and those menus come together more easily when built around Polar Powder. You can access a wide variety of easy-to-learn and easy-to-create recipes here.
Try it yourself by ordering Frozenta’s Mocha Sample Kit free of charge! You can give yourself and your employees the best brain freeze they’ve ever had by doing the following:
- Go to Frozenta.com/beginbrainfreeze
- Create an Account
- Add the Mocha Sample Kit to your Cart
- Use the promo code "BrainFREEze" at checkout