Compelling brand recognition

There's a local coffee shop in my neighborhood. They make great coffee and particularly excel at driving customers to their doorstep. Some will argue that it's the coffee that keeps people coming back for more. Single-origin, fair-trade, and organic coffee does sound delicious. But this shop doesn't operate in a silo. In this area, a large market exists for high-grade specialty coffee. There are plenty of people who can afford it and are willing to go the distance to get their fix. So you better do a damn well job at it.

It's not just the coffee that sells, it's the experience. Amazing coffee is just one (very important) outcome of several carefully crafted inputs and outputs. There's also the genuine service you receive from the baristas. When someone walks through those doors, there is instant feedback: "Hey Steve, how are you!?" or "What's going on? Same as usual?". This is not an assembly line with a pre-conceived notion of what defines best customer service practices. What does it matter if someone Sharpies my name on a cup, only to forget my existence as soon as my order is fulfilled?

Great coffee is served in a complementary setting. In this particular shop, there is a sort of craftsmanship on display. Beautiful wood countertops, soft lighting, curated music, and a sense that at least in here, there's something special going on. Outside might be the cold and unforgiving morning. Walk through these doors though and you can forget about your cares. The rich aroma of fresh-brewed coffee, people holding conversation, a communal drug slowly making its way around the room.

At the same time, the experience is all-pervasive. Take a trip around town and you'll find a peculiar sticker staring you back in the face. It's a hologram-like graphic of a black crow on a white background. There is no text: no company name, no telephone number, email address, website, or special offer. What about new customers, you ask? How will they know where this sticker came from, and what does it mean?

Already, you have your answer.

The owner of this shop says that in the past 3 years, they've distributed more than 10,000 stickers. No one pays for them. Show up to any location and you'll be offered one for free. "It's not advertising," the same owner suggests "but a sort of brand recognition." A relatively cost-effective way of getting their face in front of people. People pay to participate. Because if you're not in on it, you don't get it. But everyone wants to be part of something great. Are you experienced?