As he watches a colleague pour a strong, dark espresso, Kevin West’s eyes light up with excitement.
“We think we’ve really gotten it right,” said West, Tim Hortons vice president of coffee operations, as the company prepares to relaunch its espresso, latte and cappuccino offerings.
West enthusiastically touted the boldness of the new offering, admitting it was a touch up after the company’s initial launch of the company’s national espresso and latte in 2016.
“The real flavor of our espresso was not transmitted to the milk. It wasn’t strong enough. I didn’t have the right balance. The latte lacked the flavor of the coffee, ”West said. “Now, we’ve really worked on the right roast.”
But just days after the company announced a new partnership with Justin Bieber (and two years after signing a deal with Canadian singer Shawn Mendes), as well as new food offerings underway, marketing experts are wondering if the Canada’s largest coffee chain. he has forgotten who he is.
Ken Wong, a marketing professor at Queen’s University Smith School of Business, says the sometimes dizzying variety of new product offerings and marketing direction runs the risk of confusing customers who once knew what. representing Tim Hortons.
“I see a lack of coherence,” Wong said. “I think Tim has lost his way.”
A former marketing whistleblower for Tim, who asked not to be named because they still have professional relationships with some of his former colleagues, was even harsher.
“They are trying to throw a Hail Mary pass. It smells of desperation, ”said the former executive.
While having Bieber-designed special-edition Timbits might be a fun publicity stunt, it’s not exactly targeting the same market as people who would drink premium espresso and lattes, Wong said. It’s also unlikely to draw the younger crowd that Hortons is clearly desperate to attract, Wong added.
“Millennials and Gen Z will not choose their coffee based on Justin Bieber’s appearance in an advertisement,” Wong said.
The company is struggling to attract younger customers who are more concerned with the coffee they are drinking than its traditional double-drink crowd. Those younger customers are more likely to visit competitors like Starbucks or independent cafes, Wong added.
“If you go to a coffee shop, you see young professionals or college students, working on their laptop and drinking their latte. If you go to Tim Hortons, what do you see? Seniors, ”Wong said.
West says Tim’s hopes to get some existing customers to switch to espresso-based beverages, while also reaching new customers who would traditionally get their fix elsewhere.
“It’s a segment of the coffee consumer that we haven’t really reached, even if they are our own guests,” West said.
At the same time, Wong says, Tims has also seen increased competition from what seemed like an unlikely source in earlier times: fast-food giant McDonald’s, which has been taking an increasing share of the breakfast and break crowd. for the coffee that long formed the backbone of Tim Hortons’ business. And that will not be an easy fight to win, Wong said.
“If you think you’re going to win a publicity fight with McDonald’s, well, good luck with that,” Wong said.
With the rapid pace of new offerings, Tim’s also runs the risk of diverting another crucial relationship: his franchisees.
“That relationship is absolutely vital,” said veteran marketer and author Alan Middleton. “And every time you launch a new product, with new complexity and costs, you run the risk of upsetting franchisees.”
West insisted that service times have not changed dramatically in franchise test runs, including shortcut windows, which are particularly time sensitive.
“If we look at how we launch products, we have to see how it fits into the system. We haven’t had any speed issues on the tours, “West said.
Reference-www.thestar.com