The reality is more excellent than the report. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
From screen to store.
Dunkin Donuts got me to buy their coffee today. So what?
Well, my pattern is to only buy bulk, organic, fair-trade, local or some combination of the above. So how did they do it?
Last night I watched holiday specials on TV with the family for several hours. We have about 5 channels so DVR is not part of the equation, commercials are a way of life over here (and a chance to get a bathroom break). Dunkin Donuts coffee had a pretty funny commercial: a woman in her pajamas and robe reaching for her early morning coffee is dragged away by her coffee cup, down the street, to the store, and magnetized to the Dunkin Donuts coffee bags. Her cup wants only Dunkin. Her neighbor appears soon after her cup decided the same thing. Cute.
It was a passing moment, we moved on to other things. The next morning I woke up early to prepare a dish for a family meal and had to go to the store before 7:00 am to get the ingredients. On the way out the door I realized we were out of coffee.
Dungeons and Dragons?
“Is it ok if I get Dunkin’s?”
“Sure.”
Simple. But actually very complex, too.
Dunkin Donuts produced a clever ad with targeted, minimal copy and great imagery; the story planted the idea in my mind that what I really want, is Dunkin Donuts coffee.
Advertisers do this all day long and good copywriters make their living off of providing dynamic content for advertisers to attach to commercial campaigns. But the advertising is not enough to cut through the throng of voices trying to persuade me to spend my dollars on their product.
The persuasive combination comes from great advertising plus an endorsement from a friend: my best friend swears by Dunkin Donuts coffee and buys it as her early-morning fuel. She promotes the product to me every time we talk about coffee (wanting it, buying it, preparing it, needing it).
The true trifecta comes from great advertising + endorsement from a trusted source + __________________ = you win me over in spite of my regular buying patterns and preferences.
The [blank] stands for : GREAT PRODUCT.
Dunkin Donuts coffee tastes good! Even if you don’t like the taste it is undeniable that DD coffee tastes different than other brands on the shelves. There is something unique about Dunkin Donuts coffee. You may not need a great product to get someone to buy it the first time but you must have excellent product if you want your buyer to come back or if you want to win the friend endorsement.
Good copy can only get a product so far!
I’m not sure I’ll be a loyal buyer of DD coffee as I really like the coffee from the local bakery but this time, at least, Dunkin put my $6.89 in their pocket. Kudos.