Business Overview

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• European styled cafés inspired by the work of Honoré de Balzac, history’s most famous coffee drinker and one of the greatest writers of all time.

• Privately owned, business to consumer model. 25 years in operation. 3 business divisions - wholesale grocery, e-commerce retail and 17 cafés in southern Ontario. All venues are licensed.

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• Café locations are in high traffic pedestrian areas, typically heritage districts or places of higher learning like the Toronto Reference Library and Ryerson University campus. No drive thrus.

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• Product quality is a Balzac’s defining characteristic. The coffee is sourced from some of the best growing regions on the planet and roasted in small batches in an environmentally friendly Loring roaster.

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Value Proposition

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“What distinguishes Balzac’s Coffee Roasters from the rest, aside from unrivalled roast and formidable female leadership, is that every café is specifically designed to embody the cultural nuances and historical significance of the location it’s in. In doing so, each café has carved out a unique personality as a central gathering place for the locals to converse, share, ruminate and create. And the fact that all Balzac’s cafés have garnered quite the loyal following proves that providing a place for people to drink excellent coffee in the authentic French tradition has an appeal that can only be described as everlasting.”

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In the words of novelist and playwright

Honoré de Balzac -

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“the café is the people’s parliament.”

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as presented on Balzac’s website

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Branding

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The Balzac’s brand has been described as an expression of Founder, Diana Olsen’s creative personal style - eclectic and original with an effusive connection to arts, culture and literature.

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Ms. Olsen has spent considerable time in the cafés of France and fell in love with the French culture of coffee and the way it celebrated congregating and gathering.

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“That was the goal with my cafés: to make everyone feel welcome, and where anybody and everybody feels part of something.”

• Diana Olsen, Founder

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Each café has it’s own unique allegorical poster art, designed from metaphoric symbols. The meaning is connected to the history and culture of the neighbourhood.

Illustrator,

Alayna Paquette has

designed unique poster

art for each café.

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The elements of each

design are often only

known to the people in that particular neighbourhood and always contain a literary reference.

Connection to

Art, Culture & Literature

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Connection to

Art, Culture & Literature

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From the artistry of Kate Golding, British surface pattern artist and creator of ‘The Biggins Collection at Balzac’s’.

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“I am just one of many individual talents who Diana has collaborated with, on different elements for Balzac’s Coffee Roasters. It is incredibly uplifting to see the brand grown in such a positive way, uniting so many people to create something special, coveted and unique. Balzac’s stands apart from the crowd for this reason.”

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Noma Bar has designed multiple book covers for Margaret Atwood and now, for the Balzac’s Atwood Blend packaging. The Israeli artist is renowned for his negative space graphic style.

Can you see her?

Connection to

Art, Culture & Literature

Connection to Art, Culture & Literature

“A decidedly female packaging label was created for this seasonal product, which was supports a women in leadership in Colombian coffee farms.” - Chad Roberts Design

Business Objectives

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Marketing Objectives

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• Increase in-store revenue by 10% by enhancing loyalty program, for the 2022 fiscal year.

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• Amplify loyalty program with a digital marketing strategy that increases sign-ups by 5%, for the fiscal year 2022.

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• Develop customer engagement strategies that increase the customer lifetime value (LTV) and increase average order value (AOV) by 5% for the fiscal year 2022.

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Campaign Goal

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Create a loyalty program that incentivizes repeat in-store visits and creates brand evangelism.

Business Objective KPIs

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Bonne Vie Loyalty Program

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What is it?

An enhancement to the existing non-descript Balzac’s mobile app, that will offer engagement content that is experiential and value focused.

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The content will:

• Go beyond simply collecting loyalty points for free rewards. The enhancements will drive daily customer engagement, build brand affinity, provide exclusivity for top tier members and introduce experiential event marketing.

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Why this approach?

The current mobile app is the best tool for deepening the relationship with customers and driving more in-store visits. The target personas are already familiar with the brand and have frequent access to locations. The encouragement provided by the Bonne Vie app will move them further down the customer loyalty funnel and support meeting the business objectives.

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The program will:

• Offer exclusive experiences that cater to their sense of community, desired environment, and interest in coffee culture, generating more engagement and increasing both store visits and average purchase amounts.

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Touchpoints

The Bonne Vie Loyalty Program App, which will be promoted by posts on Facebook, Instagram, and email. See slides 24-33 for more details.

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*See notes below

According to the Coffee Association of Canada*:

• Coffee is Canada's most consumed beverage amongst adults over 16 – even more than tap water

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• Average number of cups of coffee cups consumed per day: 2.7 (October 2020)

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• Coffee is the #1 beverage consumed out of home (34.3%) ahead of soft drinks (19.5%)

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• Specialty coffee beverages and frozen blended coffee are strongest among those aged 18-49

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• Millennials (age 18-34) are more interested in in coffees that are ethically sourced and/or certified - eg. Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, Organic

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• $6.2 Billion Industry with $4.8 Billion (77%) coming from Foodservice

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Audience Analysis Research

* www.coffeeassoc.com/media-coffee-facts/

Given the loyalty program’s business objectives and the research obtained, the following audience behavioural parameters will be targeted:

Audience Analysis: Strategy

• Consumers with access to multiple locations throughout an average week (commuters, urban dwellers)

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• Consumers keenly interested in “coffee culture” and desiring premium coffee products

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• Consumers in search of retail environments with distinctive personalities and elevated coffee experiences

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• Millennials seeking out organic and Fair Trade coffee products

While a number of relevant personas were identified, only 2 will be targeted by the campaign.

Persona #1 is a middle-aged business executive and coffee aficionado who travels throughout North America and is exposed to Balzac’s kiosks a various airports.

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Paul

Marital/Family Status: Single

City: Toronto

Occupation: Business Development

Language(s): English, some French

Household Income: $150,000+/year

Premium Brand Shopper/Collector

Age: 45

Life Stage: Midlife

Online Behaviors:

Doesn’t spend much time on Social Media aside from LinkedIn. Uses TIDAL for music streaming.

Previous Engagement with Balzac’s : Used to work around the corner from the Ryerson location and frequently bought coffee there.

A Day in the Life:

Commutes to the office downtown or works from home. Runs, works out or goes to kickboxing most days/nights. Dinner out with friends two nights a week. Frequently commutes to New York City via Billy Bishop Airport.

Goals and Aspirations: Wants to retire at some point and travel the world. Maybe meet someone and (finally) settle down.

Favourite Brands: Fred Perry, VANS, Olukai

Challenges/Frustrations: Finds it annoying that most Starbucks baristas can’t make a proper cappuccino!

How Balzac’s Can Help: Open more locations.

Audience Analysis: Persona #1 (Primary)

Persona #2 is a millennial marketing professional who favours locations with personality, lives downtown and has access to various Balzac’s locations throughout a typical week.

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Selena

Marital/Family Status: Married, no kids

City: Toronto

Occupation: Marketing Professional

Language(s): English

Household Income: $75,000/year

Trend shopper,but prefers to pay for experiences more than materialistic items.

Age: 27

Life Stage: Work & Play

Online Behaviors:

Uses social media as a form of creative self expression. Active on IG, Pinterest, Youtube, Apple news.

Previous Engagement with Balzac’s:

Occasional visits when they happened to be by a store. Enjoys the look of their space and their seasonal drinks.

A Day in the Life:

Spin classes, self care routines, works 9 to 5, commutes to work on TTC, lives in toronto. Enjoys dinners out, loves happy hour, weekends out-of-town, extremely social and makes weekly plans in the city with her friends and partner.

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Goals and Aspirations: To enjoy a lifestyle that would allow for creative and fulfilling work while having enough time to travel around the world and temporarily live abroad.

Favourite Brands: Sephora, Aritzia

Challenges/Frustrations: Does not like every day to feel the same. Visits Starbucks often but feels like clockwork and is looking for a new experience.

How Balzac’s Can Help: Provide an individualized, unique coffee experience that speaks to a creative mind.

Audience Analysis: Persona #2 (Primary)

Persona #3 is a suburban “soccer mom” who frequently meets with friends for coffee at their neighbourhood Balzac’s. She also grabs takeout before her sons’ hockey games.

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Patty

Family Status: Married with 2 kids

City: Vaughn

Occupation: Domestic Engineer

Language(s): English & Spanish

Household Income: $150,000/year

Brand shopper, but always looking for a good deal.

Age: 38

Life Stage: Sandwich Generation

Online Behaviors: Keeps current with activity groups on Facebook. On Tik Tok when she has to pass time waiting at appointments for her family.

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Previous Engagement with Balzac’s: Stops by Kleinburg café after weekday fitness classes or before her kids’ hockey games on weekends.

A Day in the Life: Family responsibilities. Main caregiver for elderly parents and young children. Her spouse has a demanding career so she is the captain of the house and must take charge and make all family life decisions. Likes a glass of Prosecco with friends and family.

Goals and Aspirations: Focused on her family, but keeps herself current in anticipation of one day being able to return to career activities.

Favourite Brands: Michael Kors, Tory Burch

Challenges/Frustrations: Rushes through the day from one activity to the next, never feeling she can take a moment for herself.

How Balzac’s Can Help: They already do. She described the first sip of coffee when she sits down in a cold arena as ‘heaven’.

Audience Analysis: Persona #3 (Secondary)

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SWOT for Customer Loyalty

Competitive Analysis

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Digital Channel Tactics

Awareness

The Awareness Stage will present features and benefits of the Balzac’s brand and introduce the Loyalty Program. Attractive visual ads will target specific age demographics to build interest and encourage interaction with the posts.

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Google Search and Display

• Use well-researched keywords to build the ad copy.

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• Mix researched keyword and buzzwords to catch users attention amongst the paid search ads - eco friendly, fair trade organic coffee, exclusive loyalty program, barista coffee, inspiring environment.
• Drive click through to website/ landing page.

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Facebook, Instagram Paid Content

• Target the two main audience segments by representing people like them in the ads we produce. These will be visible on posts and stories.
• Use images of a younger people studying in a café, along with copy about how the students can earn rewards while studying.

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• Use images of people taking part in a coffee tasting event. This group activity and the imaging will speak to the exclusivity of the tier program and the specialized events offered to loyalty program customers.

Digital Channel Funnel KPIs

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Digital Channel Tactics

The Interest Stage will include the development of interactive content to encourage participation within the Balzac’s community. Both paid and organic posts will be used on social media channels.

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Instagram: Influencer Marketing

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• Influencer takeover campaign. Invite a content creator / influencer to temporarily take-over the Balzac’s Instagram page for the day while on a multiple café tour.

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Facebook: Live Digital Event

• Coffee class with Balzac’s founder, Diana Olsen to talk about coffee history and culture. Promote loyalty program by speaking to the secret menu.

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Paid Social

• Sharing informational marketing post through paid social which will link to the program landing page. Driving click through rates to the landing page.

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Interest

Digital Channel Funnel KPIs

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Digital Channel Tactics

The Consideration Stage will provide the viewer with greater detail and explanation about the Loyalty Program.

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Mobile App

• Offering a free coffee/refill that needs to be redeemed in store by a certain date after downloading the app and signing up for program.

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Website

• Landing page will provide the FAQ’s, reward tier structure �& imagery that speaks to perks.

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Email

• Using newsletter signups to promote the new additions to the loyalty program. Highlight new features and benefits and why the program is made for them! Offer a free coffee to be redeemed by a certain date in store.

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Social Campaign

• Use facebook events to promote exclusive events being held in the space such as Live music night. Main goal is to promote loyalty program to access tickets earlier and/or use points for tickets.
• Track social interactions on event page and facebook page to see if right demographics are being reached for event.

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Consideration

Digital Channel Funnel KPIs

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Digital Channel Tactics

Loyalty Program App Honore

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• Foster users to aspire to move from entry-level ‘Coffee Connoisseur’ 2nd tier ‘Honoré’level, which is done by making more purchasing, more frequently, for larger values.
• Using push mobile notifications.
• Tracking push notifications that direct users to the app.
• Tracking geolocation to see if they visited our store after promotion was sent out.
• Tracking if they used their time limited promotion.

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Social #Balzacbonanza

• Encourage first time visitors to post a pic in-store using #balzacbonanza hashtag to commemorate first visit they will then receive a free drink promo code to be used in the app on their next store order.
• They will be sent the promo code through direct messages on Facebook & Instagram.
• This campaign will be promoted organically.
• Use hashtag to track interactions and new visitors.

Conversion

Digital Channel Funnel KPIs

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Digital Channel Tactics

Loyalty Program App

• Geo push notifications on phone, reminders to use your points, get a weather related drink.
• Game on app, get your points by a specific date on specific items to unlock new offers.

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Email

Signing up for the loyalty program ensures we have secured the email from the user. Subsequent email communication are a more direct way to convey further engagement.

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• Leveraging the customer purchase data creates the opportunity for strategic personalized communications.

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• Sharing more information about the company's history, it’s founder, and the connection to art, culture and literature. This helps develop affinity in Balzac’s.

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• Convey offers that spark engagement. eg. offer double point on next purchase for leaving a comment on the Balzac’s social platform or for providing a google review.

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Re-engagement

Digital Channel Funnel KPIs

Negative Keywords

• drive thru
• drive-through(s)

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Balzac's Coffee Keyword Research Link

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Keyword Research

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Search Keywords

Google Search Campaign 1

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Google Search Campaign 1

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Google Search Campaign 1

Commuters Ad 1

Google Search Campaign 1

Commuters Ad 2

Google Search Campaign 1

Urbanite Ad

Google Search Campaign 2

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Google Search Campaign 2

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Google Search Campaign 2

Urbanite Ad1

Google Search Campaign 2

Commuter Ad

Google Search Campaign 2

Urbanite Ad2

Content Ideas to Sip & Enjoy

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Dual purpose content - in-person café setting, webinars, virtual breakouts, a newsletter, a TED style talk, LinkedIn Live, an offsite presentation for a company activity, blog posts, Instagram story, short, reel etc..and any other platform that gets invented.

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• Hosted Coffee Tastings

Enjoy a flight of 5 mini coffees and learn the origins of each brew and tricks to the art of cupping from a Master Taster.

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• Human Interest Coffee Chat Sessions

Che Guevara and Fidel Castro plotted Viva La Revolution in a café. Explore the famous cafés that are known for scandalous love affairs, murder plots and world changing events.

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• All About Coffee

Learn the history, science and world view of the coffee industry.

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• Coffee Pairings

Which pairings work well every time? Impress your guests or satisfy your own great coffee break snacking. Come prepared to nosh and savour.

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• Café Cultural for Lits

From Oscar Wilde, Jack Kerouac, JK Rowling and Francis Ford Coppola, share in the dialogue of history’s more famous Vicious Circles and maybe form one of your own.

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• Coffee Addicts and Literature

“....it chases away sleep, and it give us the capacity to engage a little longer in the exercise of our intellects” - Honoré de Balzac. Voltaire, Jean Jacques Rousseau and many more.

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• Balzac’s 101

Learn the menu board.

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• Barista 101

Perfect for fledgling coffee sommeliers. Best practices for roasting, brewing and enjoying.

Content: Emails

Content: Paid Social

These posts will all be formatted for both stories and in feed posts.

Content: Organic Social

These posts will all be formatted for both stories and in feed posts.

Content: Organic Facebook Event

Landing Page Wireframe - Page 1 of 2

Join

Bonne Vie

for FREE

$1 spent = 10 points

Earn

Bonne Vie

Rewards

Order and pay ahead

Cashless

Delivery

JOIN NOW

Frequently Asked Questions

Landing Page Wireframe - Page 2 of 2

Future SEO Landing Page Considerations

• Mobile friendly.

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• Create a dedicated landing page, accessible from the main menu.

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• Several opportunities to ‘Download the App, ‘Join Now’ or download from Google Play or App Store.

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• Use keywords to help develop content and use language that audience wants to read.

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• Use more symbols and less written language.

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• Ensure technical SEO is completed ex. metadata, short url, image descriptors, txt.files etc..

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Future SEO Landing Page Considerations Continued

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Sign-up Form

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This is an example of the signup form once the app the downloaded

Lead Scoring System base on 100 points

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Attributes:

Lead Scoring System base on 100 points

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Behaviours:

Lead Scoring Threshold

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• People between the ages of 26 to 59.
• More women visit Balzac’s cafés.
• People who live in Toronto have more opportunity to frequent a variety of Balzac’s cafés.
• People who sign-up for the newsletter are more likely to download the app.
• People who view the Balzac’s loyalty program page 4 to 6 times are more likely to download the app.
• People who have visited the Balzac’s loyalty program page and spend 61-180 seconds are ready to download the app.

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Lead Score Threshold = 27

We will use the following attributes and behaviours to determine qualified leads to keep customers engaged with relevant content until they download Bonne Vie Rewards mobile app.

Downloading the Bonne Vie app and subsequent regular usage will contribute to achieving the business objectives.

Conclusion

Pathway to achieving Balzac's business objectives.

• Utilize Balzac's Coffee Roasters strong brand identity in the content and promotion of the Bonne Vie Loyalty Program.
• Develop Balzac's Bonne Vie Loyalty Program.
• Use digital marketing strategies to promote the Bonne Vie app and share the brand identity.

Let’s Make it Happen