WEBSITE AND BRANDING 2021
Divine Patisserie
Divine Patisserie is Auckland’s first floral cafe. I was responsible for developing the brand strategy including brand styling, business development and promotion. The initial objective was to create an impactful launch into Auckland’s very competitive cafe market with the end goal to develop the brand into a franchise model.
My Role
Brand strategy · Competitor analysis · Wireframes · Responsive Web Design · Brand asset creation · Usability testing · Customer Experience · Social Media Management
Impact
- Integrated a booking system onto the website, providing up to 600-800 bookings a month.
- Launched an impactful social media campaign that achieved 3000 followers in the first month of opening.
- Increased sales by 50% in the 2nd month of operations by running user research and promoting the need cater for special dietary requirements.
- Liaised and coordinated special events including an engagement that was featured in the local newspaper.
- Pivoted with covid restrictions and created a source of income for the business through an online ordering system for delivery or pick up.
THE PROJECT
“New Zealand has more roasters per capita than any other country in the world.”
The cafe market in Auckland is highly competitive. The biggest challenge for the stakeholders was finding a niche amongst the crowd. Having found a gap in the market for a floral cafe, they needed to leverage an effective branding strategy that would provide them with an impactful launch into the market on opening and beyond.
the solution
Create a strong & consistent brand identity
Website
Launch an impactful landing page for potential customers as a initial introduction to our offering.
Asset Creation
Create assets to be used across marketing platforms & packaging.
social media
Launch a social media campaign to gain traction before opening. Incorporate the spirit of Kiwi values of warmth, socializing and community.
INITIAL RESEARCH
What is the cafe culture like in New Zealand
I began the project with doing some general research into the cafe culture in New Zealand. This was very important to our branding strategy because we wanted our brand to strongly resonate with Kiwi culture while introducing a new concept to the market.
- Cafes are the centre of how Kiwi’s like to socialize.
- Kiwi’s are strong supporters of local businesses.
- Not only is coffee important to Kiwi’s but so is cafe food.
- Traceability and the quality of coffee beans is becoming a growing concern to Kiwi’s.
USER RESEARCH
What information do customers want from a cafe website?
I conducted competitor analysis and group interviews with potential customers. The goal was to find out what information customers are seeking by visiting a cafe website as opposed to visiting platforms such as Google Maps, Yelp, Social Media and review blogs. The findings helped lead the way in the initial website design. The key findings from this research were:
sketches
Sketch A
Sketch B
I conducted A/B testing of the above sketches. Sketch A has a traditional website layout and sketch B attempts to put all relevant information on a single page layout. Insights from user testing concluded:
- Users preferred sketch A as it mimicked a more traditional website layout that they are more familiar with.
- Sketch B was too much information in a single view.
- Users liked to see links to social media at the top of the page as opposed to the bottom.
- Sketch B did not make users feel excited to visit.
- Users preferred a separate link to the menu.
Wireframes
User journey map
MOODBOARD & STYLE GUIDE
Divine Patisserie’s USP is that it is the first floral cafe in Auckland
The moodboard takes inspiration from florals and combines it with regal notes mixed with Parisian vibes. The stakeholders wanted to create an upmarket yet welcoming experience for everyone, including families with young children. It was important to incorporate a sense of wonder and overall excitement.
Elegant
Royal
Whimsical
PARISIAN
Floral
Pink
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Branding needs to be consistent online and offline.
Consistent branding across all platforms results in a memorable and enriched customer experience.
The reason for the success of Divine Patisserie is that it provides customers with a unique offering coupled with a strong digital presence, which really envelopes a sense of community and warmth.
I was able to collaborate and communicate effectively with all departments to create a seamless and coherent brand identity.
Through this experience I learnt what successful branding can do for a small business.
