In a world dominated by ubiquitous coffee stores that can seem somewhat lacking in imagination, it’s fascinating to review a brand recently described as a “Scandinavian phenomenon” boasting “cutting-edge…stores” and a “distinctive culture”. The “edgy” brand “JOE & THE JUICE” originated in Denmark in 2002, founded by an “eccentric” former professional karate champion also described as a “cult” leader, yet who has succeeded in creating a unique model for coffee experiences throughout its 300 stores in sixteen countries on four continents.
Before we review this brand’s digital strategy and some unique ideas they’ve recently launched, we were fascinated to discover how its team members are chosen, with a recruitment process more akin to sourcing talented bartenders for a trendy nightclub than a contemporary coffee house. This video shows how JOE & THE JUICE uses fun and competitive challenges to “cast” entertaining, positive and fun people to bring their brand to life in a way that bigger brands must envy.
Joe & the Juice Chooses Energetic, Entertaining & Talented Staff
Simplicity
As passionate advocates of simplicity, we have to admire the clarity of this brand’s messaging. Here is the compelling concept of the “Joe App” as summarised for its customers.
So how does this clever, cool brand create loyalty and brand advocacy using digital tools? Firstly it uses tiers and of course, we expect the unexpected and discover that its tier names are cleverly based on the engaging and colourful palette of its brand identity.
Joe & the Juice tiers: Grey, Purple, Yellow Gold & Pink Diamond.
Unique Ideas
While the Joe App offers expected benefits such as a free instant juice on download or a free sandwich if you refer a friend, it also boasts some innovative concepts such as the ability to digitally ‘tip’ the staff in selected countries. Such a nice idea, the first time we’ve seen it and a concept that will help drive staff loyalty as much as customer loyalty.
Another unique idea is that members are rewarded by visiting stores in more than one country, giving loyal customers an incentive to seek out the brand in cities they travel to – and another idea that we haven’t seen in any other coffee programme we’ve reviewed to date.
A third unique idea is the ability to export receipts – presumably to help caffeine-loving executives simplify their expense claims.
Of course, the app also offers ways to speed up orders including the ability to pre-order and skip-the-line or use the app to pay in-store with a single tap and earn points with every purchase, alongside some generous discounts for pre-paid loyalty packages.
The Joe App offers some unique ideas we haven’t seen before.
Loyalty Packages
Clearly cash is king and so JOE & THE JUICE incentivises the purchase of packages for juices, coffee or sandwiches. Each pre-purchase of ten pre-paid products earns the members savings of up to 30%, as well as collecting loyalty points.
Pre-paid products are loaded as credits in the loyalty app, and a QR code is presented at the pick-up point for payment.
Points Programme
JOE & THE JUICE has based its programme on driving frequency as well as engaging on its digital platform as shown below. While it’s not clear how many points are needed to reach each tier, there are plenty of easy ways for members to earn and engage as shown here:
50 Points – Sign up with Facebook
50 Points – Register on the app
100 Points – Add Creditcard Details
100 Points – 2 Visits in 30 days
100 Points – First Visit
100 Points – 1st Preorder
100 Points – Scan Loyalty Card
200 Points – 3 Visits in 30 days
500 Points – 5 Visits in 21 days
500 Points – 7 Visits in 21 days
1000 Points – 14 Visits in 21 days
1000 Points – 10 Visits in 21 days
2000 Points – 21 Visits in 21 days
Cashless for Covid
With the global health pandemic is keeping most of Europe’s restaurants and cafes closed, there is no doubt that it has also accelerated their digital transformation. The Joe App has become the preferred payment mechanic for JOE & THE JUICE, and allows contactless pick-up for pre-orders as shown in their “Covid 19 Response” below:
Perfectly Positioned
While JOE & THE JUICE has always been about coffee and juice, its visionary positioning as “a lifestyle brand that strives to deliver an unseen level of meaningfulness between its people and the workplace” seems even more relevant for the new normal. The now we never saw coming.
Some of my favourite ideas are published by Wunderman Thompson whose report on consumer behaviour and trends in light of Covid-19 highlights a trend of people and brands “making a concerted effort to seek out positivity, fueling a collective momentum working towards a future built on optimism.”
In my view, JOE & THE JUICE delivers exactly that and so it’s now even more perfectly positioned to enjoy exceptional loyalty from a world increasingly searching for brands it can trust.
About Us:
Liquid Barcodes is a leading global loyalty and digital marketing technology company specialising in the convenience store and foodservice industries. Our proprietary cloud-based technology platform allow retailers to create and manage their digital marketing campaigns with a proprietary process we call the “customer connection cycle’ to engage, promote and reward customers activities in real-time across digital and media channels.
How we do it:
We have developed the most advanced loyalty and digital marketing technology platform specifically for convenience store and foodservice retailers globally.
Retailers use our self-service dashboard to create and manage loyalty driven marketing campaigns that increase purchases with their existing customers, as well as effectively target and acquire new customers through partners or paid media channels.
One core component of live loyalty is gamification. We have gamified branding, loyalty and promotions. We believe this approach is essential in order to get customers’ attention and ultimately truly engage them with repeatable actions thereby winning their loyalty.
Check out some of our exciting/proven results here:
About Me:
Chief Content Officer, Liquid Barcodes and Independent Loyalty Consultant
With over twenty-five years marketing experience, I specialise in loyalty marketing consulting, managing consumer loyalty propositions, strategy and operations. In addition to working with Liquid Barcodes, my clients have included Telefonica O2, Three Mobile, Electric Ireland, Allied Irish Bank and The Entertainer, as well as Avios – the global points currency for some of the world’s top airlines. I am also a former judge for the Loyalty Magazine Awards.
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