The coffee business is currently a very successful one in Saudi Arabia. Most Coffee shops target men, with only a few focusing on women's' needs. The need for an exclusive coffee shop for women has drawn me to investing in the coffee industry. Culturally, women and men do not hang out together in the Arabian culture. This is to a large extent, influenced by the Islamic heritage which the Saudi Kingdom draws its customs from. Women are supposed to dress conservatively and hold their own gatherings (Zuhur, 73). Women need a place where they can drink coffee, hold conversations and have fun in an environment that is purely woven to meet their expectations. The Zen Ladies Coffee shop puts the needs and expectations of women as its top priority.
Purpose of the Business
Vison
The vision for The Zen Coffee Shop is to provide an ample coffee drinking environment for Saudi Arabian women.
The Audience
Our target is middle-class and upper-class women ranging from adults to mature older women. The shop offers an environment where women can let go of their usually conservative nature, and embrace life without fear of judgment from their male counterparts. To help the women feel more comfortable, I have chosen to hire a female only employee base who the target customers can identify with.
Theme
Quality coffee remains a top priority for the Zen women shop. Our focus is to make a difference in the coffee industry by bringing in quality and affordable coffee that most women can enjoy. Espressos and cappuccinos are the two main brands that our business will focus on. From the market research carried out by the brewery industry, these two brands appeal more to women, who happen to be our target audience.
Developing a plan
Marketing segment
The Zen Coffee shop focuses specifically on women, both old and young. A market research conducted a few months ago revealed the coffee brands most favorited by the female fraternity, which is espressos and cappuccinos. This company will, therefore, weigh in heavily on espressos and cappuccinos to satisfy our only female customers.
Competition
Through conducting a thorough market research, I have come up with the conclusion that the White Foam Coffee shop in Riyadh is my biggest competitor in the coffee market. This coffee shop has invested heavily in spacing and interior décor. Moreover, it has a bigger customer base, both male, and a few females. Interacting with White Foam's current customers has exposed me to some of their weaknesses, such as a mediocre customer care, and a lack of innovation and creativity. With this knowledge, I am going to focus on providing an excellent customer care service to our clients, coming up with new ways to please our customers, and investing in technology such as availing Wi-Fi to keep them in the coffee shop for longer hours (Jeffrey, 211).
Positioning
Similar to Starbucks in the U.S.A, this coffee shop positions itself as a provider of high quality coffee beans and giving customers value for their money. Our main concern is how best we can take the coffee industry by storm rather than the price of our coffee. Customer taste and needs are a priority to my company, and our aim is to create an exceptional coffee experience for women (Kerin, 126).
Consumer Promise
This company has made the following promises to consumers:
Value Proportion
Unlike other coffee shops, The Zen will emphasize on providing quality rather than quantity. The company will source for the best coffee beans in the market, giving our customers an unforgettable experience.
Secondly, the women who form our main audience will have an environment where they can freely express themselves, hold little gatherings, gossip and talk politics unashamedly. Women with children are equally welcome, and our washrooms have changing rooms for the babies to carter for these women.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
We have a more defined customer base that will appreciate the efforts taken to ensure they enjoy their coffee unlike competitors. We have better marketing methods that will allow us to reach more consumers thus better profits. We seek to offer a breathtaking coffee drinking experience.
Weaknesses
This company does not have a lot of space for all our potential customers. We have started with a small shop, which we intend to expand over time.
The Zen coffee's interior décor is quite plain as compared to our competitors, whose interior designing is professional and up to date.
Opportunities
Offering the best quality coffee in Saudi Arabia's coffee market gives us an added advantage over our competitors. We have the potential to overtake the coffee shops, which are already in the market.
Threats
The coffee industry is already dominated by big names such as the White Foam. Going against these big names may not be as easy, and we will have a hard time proving ourselves to our potential customers. Moreover, acquiring more space within Riyadh to expand this business may be challenging.
Marketing Expense Budget
As a starting company, marketing is essential in putting our name ‘out there'. Before venturing into television marketing as many of our competitors have, our focus is to take the social media platforms by storm. Our IT team has set up a Twitter and Facebook page from where we will try to market our coffee brands and see the customer response. We have also identified influential bloggers who will write articles about our upcoming business. The overall cost of these marketing strategies is $3,000. The bloggers and social media influencers on Twitter and Facebook will be paid $500 per successful blog. We will venture into other mainstream media platforms when this business picks up.
Advertising Strategy
Social media forms our main platform in advertising this coffee shop, and the products we offer. Our public relations coordinator has also put up a website for the company, which cites our core values, strengths and the brands we offer. We will use our Facebook page to put up pictures of our coffee products and use out a Twitter page to influence people towards visiting this coffee shop.
Communication Strategies
The Zen Coffee shop will implement the following communication strategies;
Talking to key stakeholders
Meetings will be held with investors and partners to know what this business should prioritize. Since The Zen is planning to go big, we have allowed for some investors to invest into the business. A continuous flow of information with these investors will contribute toward the overall success of the business (Paul, 285).
Envisioning the future
The Zen Coffee shop focuses on what the company should achieve ultimately, and what can be done to ensure success in future. Communicating to employees what the company aims at will help develop an attitude of commitment and hard work on the part of the employees.
Public Relations Strategy
The Zen ladies' coffee shop will focus on customer care service, and in providing the most accommodative environment for its customers. The needs of the customers will be highly regarded and given top priority to the organization. Moreover, the company will ensure that every customer gets value for her money through the provision of high quality coffee.
Timeline & Key Projects
My plan is to set up the company three months after putting down a thorough business plan. Two months before the opening of the business, the relevant advertisements will be done, and a marketing strategy will be developed that suits the business needs. The company will then set off in 3, June 2016. Depending on the performance of the first coffee shop, we plan on building another coffee shop in April 2017 at a different location within Riyadh to increase our customer base and maximize our profits.
Summary
In a nutshell, The Zen Ladies coffee shop seeks to give women an experience of a lifetime. Our main marketing strategy lies on social media platforms and in proper communication with our customers on a regular basis. In a society where the females are always conscious about themselves, how they are dresses, how they can behave in public, this coffee shop gives women a chance to express themselves without fear, to be free from the judging eyes of the males in the society, and a chance to enjoy their everyday lives.
Works Cited
Jeffrey K. Rohrs. Marketing in the Age of Subscribers, Fans, & Followers. New York: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated ISBN: 978-¬‐1-¬‐118-¬‐73273-¬‐1 2-
Kerin, Roger A. Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2006. Print.
Paul, David. Communication Strategies. Australia: Thomson Learning, 2003. Print.
Zuhur, Sherifa. Saudi Arabia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Print.
