IYUM200709 MKT 208 Umar Mohamed Iyoob

Individual Assignment
Promoting Friend’s Cafe
The first thing I would do is find out a reason for decline of the cafe. If the reason is
something quite simple like a broken light in the board, fixing that light would be my first
step. If the problem is much more than a broken light or a result of an angry customer’s
bad word-of-mouth, immediate remedial management and marketing would be required.

Since my friend would be obviously downhearted, I would go and tell him that this could
be good for him as he wouldn’t have explored the full extents of the café he had. Since
his budget for refurbishing isn’t that much I would request he take a small loan and
provide my services free of charge. This would ensure that funds would be available if
needed, though not big money as my friend would take time to pay it all back.

I would then:
• Go about the place, taking in the surroundings looking at the cafe in its actual
context and thinking what changes I should bring in and how they will affect the
promotion of the café.
• Advise my friend to take down the sign in front of the café and rename the café
'My Café’ and replace the logo with a graphic of half a coffee bean and half a
sandwich making a circle.
• Make sure the ingredients of the coffee come from the best of coffee seeds
coming from shady trees as adopted by Starbucks to save the cutting down of trees. This
would send a message to the public that we are interested in giving back and would also
give us a good rapport with green groups in our area.

Then the real work would start. I have noticed that most people would be highly drawn to
a cafe if it is quaint and beautiful while having the latest of technologies. I would
rearrange the cafe in such a way that people could use it for multi purposes. I would want
my friend to aim at the big bucks so we will be targeting middle n higher income
customers. Hence bringing one of my main points:
- Using the cafe as a setting for people to meet at:
Generally people would think of meetings as informal meetings such as dates,
friends and family but I am also aiming at the corporate sector. I want the
environment to be nice enough for the managerial upper class to have descent
meetings. I would have facilities available for small to medium sized meetings to
be conducted. A single separate room would be reserved for closed meetings and
the lounge would be available for open discussions and meetings. Senior
Members and/or officials from Social Clubs. Charitable Societies, Companies,
NGO's and other organizations would then flock into My Cafe.

- In the mean time, I would also engage myself in making the old cafe up to date with the
technology of today. Plasma screens on opposite walls while enabling Wireless Internet
Access to anyone who is a customer. This can be done by providing a customer a
username and password upon purchase of a product of 'My Café'.

- I would also advise my friend to bring up a system of 'My Card' from 'My Café'. This
would be a kind of loyalty card but with a simple purpose of providing the customer with
a free meal after 10 meals at ‘My Café ’. These meals would include whatever was
common among all 10 meals.
For example:
A customer buys coffee and a croissant and a third different product for 10 meals, he will
receive a coffee and a croissant and any one other 3rd product included in his free 11th
meal. This card would be issued in five minutes and would help us know the
demographics with
relation to the kind of products in order for us to know which areas to increase and which
areas to decrease produce.

- as the target segment would be upper n middle class customers as well as income, we
will make sure that we select from the very best of satellite radio (XML) channels
pouring in the best of music and music shows into an audio system that shall be tuned to
a volume that is neither too loud nor too soft.

- The formal meetings would generally take place during the daytimes so on every Friday
night I would have a local band come and perform. Once in a month I would get a known
soloist or a band to come and perform. This will also increase word-of-mouth promotion.
- A website and facebook page dedicated to My Cafe shall also be established.
- Get the napkins and coffee cups customized and emblazoned with the new logo so
as to add to the class of the café.
- A bakery of our own shall be added to our kitchen, so we can also specialize in
breads and buns.
- A steady income is always good for a risky business, so in order to secure a
steady flow of income we could contact the closest supermarkets and see if they
would be interested in buying their bread from us.
- Promote the breakfast as the main meal being served with a variety of cuisines
such as French, English, Asian, and International breakfasts all served warm n
fresh.
- Next in importance would be brunch, with the breakfast menu and meals still
being made, a variety of lunch only items shall be added from 11:00 am onwards
and serving late breakfast eaters and early lunch eaters. I’m sure this will result in
people coming to the café purposely at brunch time in order to have the best of
meals.
- A soup of the day shall also be introduced sporting the best baked bread from our
ovens.
- Make sure the place air-conditioned at a suitable temperature at all times with
tables outside as well as water sprays to refresh the environment.
- Career Opportunities shall be posted outside the café and now that it is all done up
will hopefully attract a flock of full timers and part time hopefuls.
- Since we shall be attracting a certain class of customers we can promote investor
relations and get them to finance us for the moment while plan to hit the franchise
market big time.
I would then promote the slogan 'Meet You at ‘My Café' in posters all over town as well
as on the radio.
Once people start meeting at 'My Café', I believe word-of-mouth would be enough to
promote my Friend’s business.
- If all these don’t work, I shall go talk to my friend and then see if we qualify for
Starbucks or Panera Bread franchises.