Establishing a new-to-market standalone and credible in-store destination coffee brand that ticks the requisite boxes (artisan, independent) was something that TapCreative and O’Brien’s Centra, Mullingar, eagerly collaborated on. Each recognised the necessity. Instead of adhering to parent company Musgrave’s coffee brand, Frank And Honest, Centra wished to establish a custom coffee brand experience. TapCreative’s complementary design, meanwhile, highlighted brand identity (who the brand is, what the brand signifies), brand visuals (how the brand looks via colour tones, type fonts, imagery, illustrations) and brand appeal (how the brand engenders customer receptivity via materials, textures and the predominant location/setting).
Recognising the in-store setting that Olan Coffee would be launched and located in, TapCreative devised a contemporary, subtle yet stylish identity with a suite of qualities that complemented the Centra brand whilst firmly positioning the coffee offer as a distinctive (and obvious) go-to spot. The resulting brand and inclusive environmental design increased not only customer awareness and approval (word of mouth alone increased footfall) but also created what every store wants but not every store achieves: a significant advantage over and a crucial difference from their competitors.
Forward-thinking and progressive, the Olan Coffee brand at O’Brien’s Centra is fending off competition from multinational, household names because it connects not just with the increasingly more discerning and ethically-minded coffee consumer but also with the community they’re from. Research shows that the artisan coffee offering is symptomatic of a locally-based customer that unreservedly appreciates a more personal and unaffected touch, a particular atmosphere (that is, a non-generic, replicated franchise-like environment) and a level of intelligent, bespoke design/décor.
