Dunkin' Donuts doesn't want to be a place where you'd 'sit and write your screenplay' - and that could be key in beating Starbucks
Kate Taylor
"When we think about the sentiment of consumers in America right now, our brand stands for something that is all about hard work, transparency, values - that's our brand," Scott Hudler, Dunkin's chief digital officer, said on Tuesday at a media day.
"It's America runs on Dunkin', not Republicans run on Dunkin', Democrats run on Dunkin'," he continued. "It's America runs on Dunkin. When we think about elitism starting to fade away, this is our sweet spot."
Dunkin's self-presentation could be seen as a jab at the more expensive Starbucks, which has come under fire for CEO Howard Schultz's progressive stances. Or, it could simply be a vocalization of the fact that Dunkin' Donuts is trying to offer something completely different than its competitors.
"If you're going to sit somewhere and write your screenplay, a Dunkin' location probably isn't for you," Hudler said. "But if you're running the carpool in the morning, if you're running your kids to hockey or soccer… then we're your brand. We're for you."
Dunkin's recent exploration of more complex and expensive beverages has raised concerns that the chain was trying to win over coffee snobs - creating an identity crisis of sorts for the chain. While the coffee-snob-approved image allows chains like Starbucks to charge higher prices and win over new customers, even Starbucks has struggled to maintain an upscale reputation while also opening thousands of locations.
By doubling down on anti-elitist branding, Dunkin' Donuts can focus on appealing to the average, on-the-go American. While that may mean the chain loses out on the coffee snob crowd, it also means Dunkin' can be more cautious and learn lessons from competitors' successes and failures.
"The great thing about being a little big behind those guys, is we've been able to study them" as Dunkin' grows its mobile ordering platform, Hudler said on Starbucks' and other chains' recent mobile issues.
Dunkin
The same theory applies to Dunkin's menu.
Dunkin' Donuts rolled out cold brew last summer - a launch the company considers one of the most successful in its history.
However, the company had been testing and tinkering with the beverage for some time, waiting for the perfect moment when the drink became mainstream enough that Dunkin' wouldn't be tasked with educating customers about the beverage. Instead, the coffee chain waited to launch cold brew just as it was becoming something customers expected and wanted.
As coffee culture sweeps the US, Dunkin' Donuts isn't trying to be hip.
And, in 2017, the company believes that's the ideal position to win over customers.
- 2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
- US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
- A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
- 9 health benefits of drinking sugarcane juice in summer
- 10 benefits of incorporating almond oil into your daily diet
- From heart health to detoxification: 10 reasons to eat beetroot
- Why did a NASA spacecraft suddenly start talking gibberish after more than 45 years of operation? What fixed it?
- ICICI Bank shares climb nearly 5% after Q4 earnings; mcap soars by ₹36,555.4 crore
- Nothing Phone (2a) blue edition launched
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market