Australia is a notoriously tough coffee market. Just ask Starbucks.
In 2018, after taking a hit from consumers over taste and quality, McCafé came to The Studio at SCA for ideas that could help reposition their coffee range in a more respected and favorable light. The McDonald’s account included an annual contract which represented millions in revenue to SCA. The pressure was most definitely on.
Out of all the findings to come out of our research the most tangible (and least surprising) tidbit was that very few coffee drinkers stop at one. Most think nothing of knocking back three, four or five cups a day. The average was two.
With that as my starting point I explored ways to position McCafé coffee as a viable and not-at-all-terrible choice for coffee lovers who need more than one hit, especially on workdays.
The matter of quality was a much bigger fish and was being handled by dedicated creative from McDonald’s creative agency, so I got to focus on their positioning within our own assets. With a huge push on quality being rolled out across agile media in the key early morning (breakfast) slot, how could I use audio to reinforce the message that McCafé coffee makes for a decent “second cup” of the day? The key was in embracing the fact that it might not be consumers’ first choice. Australians guzzle Nespresso at home before they leave for work or grab a barista-made takeaway flat white (or whatever their preferred poison) at a cafe en route. But that second or third cup, the late morning or early afternoon pick-me-up, need not be an instant, powdered sachet in a dirty mug. So we set out to remind audiences of this simple fact with a time targeted break interruptor on our national DAB+ Digital Radio stations.