Dunkin’ known as Dunkin Donuts is an American Multinational coffee and donut brand that’s been around for 70 years and has been known as a popular coffee stop for most Americans that like a quick cup of joe on the go. According to a recent Instagram poll run by Sampoll, however, 85% of the poll respondents prefer local coffee brand, Rebel Dog Coffee over Dunkin’.
So what? Well, there are several insights we can derive from this, but first we need to understand the underlying trends that are shaping this result. Several studies have shown that consumers are trending towards local providers especially given the hardships that Covid-19 has created for small businesses. Consumers inherently feel an obligation to support local brands now, and that is not likely to subside anytime soon [1]. Another important trend Sampoll has been tracking is the shift towards the local boutique that offers a higher caliber experience and customer service, even if they’re more costly. In fact, 72 percent of consumers indicated that they are willing to pay a local business more for better-quality work [2]. And lets face it...DD isn’t exactly known for their superior craftsmanship or delivery.
There are certainly many factors working against small businesses during this challenging time. That said - the silver lining here is that there’s an enormous opportunity to capitalize on changing consumer habits by focusing on your customer experience, and playing up the intimate relationship/connection a local brand can provide. The truth is that competing on price alone is a futile strategy for small brands, and this poll is just one example that demonstrates why it’s best for local brands to connect with consumers early and often, learn what your local customers love about you, and own the experience!
While these spot polls are fun and engaging for consumers they also serve a very important purpose as we organically engage our communities. Sampoll’s mission is to reimagine Voice of Customer (VoC) analysis through in-store and DTC product feedback and sampling experiences. Sampoll’s omni-channel tools helps to uncover important first party customer data and help brands understand their customer’s taste preferences during the pre-purchase.
[1] https://retailwire.com/discussion/has-covid-19-made-the-shop-local-message-more-real-for-consumers/
[2] https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/what-consumers-want-from-their-local-businesses