Hendershot's Coffee


Hendershot's Coffee was my first stop in my venture to uncover the various digital marketing techniques of small coffee houses and cafes in Athens, Georgia. Throughout the next ten weeks, I hope to not only enjoy delicious coffee, but also to start a conversation with small business owners in Athens about the different approaches they might take in marketing to the community.


I walked into Hendershot's, ordered a latte, and sat down with my laptop to see how Hendershot's uses digital marketing in their business model. 



My initial thought about Hendershot's website was that the graphics they used and the way it was laid out was perfectly in keeping with the rustic, artsy tone of the coffeehouse itself. On the site, they provide information on upcoming events, relevant news, and photos of artists that have performed at Hendershot's. The site also acts somewhat as a social platform as there is an opportunity to like, comment, and share under their news page.

I was disappointed however when I discovered that their website didn't have any menu information on it (although there is a link for the menu, it is blank). As a customer that arrived solely for coffee, I was hoping to peruse the menu further, but was not given that opportunity.


Aside from their website, Hendershot's also has a fairly popular Facebook page. On their account, they post information on upcoming shows. Though type of music that Hendershot's features is catered to a very specific group of people, over 7,000 people follow and like the page to have access to this information. I believe that this page does much more for Hendershot's business than their website does as it provides the same information but updates customers without requiring that the customer goes out and searches for it.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Hendershot's--the coffee was delectable and the atmosphere was relaxing. From a marketing standpoint, I feel that Hendershot's would benefit most from increasing their presence on Facebook and perhaps venturing into another social platform to expand their reach. I would also strongly suggest that Hendershot's focuses their advertising on their coffee as much as they do for their music. Although they obtain large crowds at their nighttime events, business is slow during the day. As an Athens resident, I would have visited Hendershot's much sooner for a cup of coffee if I had known more about it.

Comments

  1. There are so many coffee places around Athens, and I am glad to finally see someone going around and trying them all throughout the semester! A lot of these coffee shops could really increase their profits if they invest in digital media and loyalty, and it would be interesting to see who is and who is not excelling in this industry, especially around college students on heavy budgets. Even for someone like me who does not drink coffee on the regular, there is opportunity for coffee shops to start a relationship with me and others who may not drink coffee often, and to build some brand loyalty (and maybe a bad coffee habit). Good luck with the rest of your findings! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.

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  2. I’ve never been in Hendershots but I am excited to try it after reading your blog! I completely agree that it is never a good thing when there isn’t a menu posted. Further, it can seem almost lazy to provide a broken link as no “Menu” option at all would be better. Other than that it seems like Hendershots is doing a great job!

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