Dive Brief:
- Trade Coffee Co., an online coffee marketplace, has launched a subscription service called The Hookup that mimics language from dating apps to match coffee lovers with the perfect cup just for them.
- According to the company, finding "the one" coffee that brings joy to the daily java ritual is like dating, and The Hookup is a way to "play the field and narrow down the 400-plus best roasts on Trade’s platform."
- The Hookup first asks about customers' "coffee experience level" and then, depending on how they make coffee at home, what they add to it and whether they prefer beans or ground coffee, it matches them with a specific branded coffee. Information about the roaster and the roasting schedule is also provided.
Dive Insight:
Trade Coffee has come up with an innovative approach to matching consumers with coffee brands, but whether they will find "true love" and continue to order the same one despite the crowded field of caffeinated beverages is another question. However, they may be more likely to give it a try since a recent industry survey found 64% of American adults drink a cup of coffee each day — up 2% from 2017 and the highest level since 2012.
Trade could receive plenty of consumer feedback from the app and use it to profile its customer base and customize other product offerings down the road. Site users probably aren't going to feel the handful of questions on The Hookup are too personal or invasive — after all, dating sites are a lot more inquisitive than merely asking about coffee tastes and habits — so most are likely to share the information Trade is after in order to find their "perfect match" of ground or whole-bean coffee.
Coffee brands that partner with Trade — there are 51 from across the country listed on The Hookup — may also benefit from this marketing approach if the online platform shares some specific consumer information with them. A roaster may find it helpful to know how advanced consumers are in their coffee knowledge, what level of roasting they prefer and whether they tend to buy whole-bean coffee, ground coffee or both.
It's possible a similar marketing approach could work for other food and beverage products if they were available on a subscription basis so that an ongoing relationship could be established. It could also depend on how open consumers are to having a brand chosen for them by an algorithm.
Regular dating apps are especially popular with the millennial generation, so millennials and Generation Z consumers might find The Hookup intriguing if it reminds them of dating apps with language they recognize. That assumes the match they receive meets their approval, however. Trade notes that if consumers don't like the coffee they receive, they can rate it online so the company can "learn more about your preferences to create better recommendations for you." Alternatively, a live person in the form of a consumer support team member will create a personalized recommendation based on feedback, taste and brewing preferences.
Older consumers may not be as interested in The Hookup, particularly if they've grown too cynical about finding the "perfect" cup of coffee or already know what they like and have remained loyal to the same brand. They may also not be too keen about paying Trade's online prices, which run from $12 to $20 for 12 ounces, with shipping included. Nevertheless, The Hookup could resonate with consumers looking for customized products and experiences tied into e-commerce.