Everyone (Mom, Dad, Danielle, Danny, and Adam) – wow I have five people I know that will read this – it is time to get excited again. Why?
I will now be adding another posting to my weekly repertoire. Now there will be a minimum of four postings per week that you can ignore.
The new addition will be a weekly Brand Awareness posting. It will be about something that I have noticed in everyday life (commercial, in-store promotion, etc.), that either helps or hurts to define a company’s brand.
These postings will be brief in text (I think) and will have photos and/or videos (to keep people entertained).
So without further adieu it is time for the inaugural Brand Awareness post and first picture.
The Brand Awareness weekly posting idea came to me yesterday after leaving Dunkin’ Donuts.
Before I get into the what and the why, let me first interject and explain Dunkin’ Donuts place in my life. (I am fully aware of the redundancy of this, as the people listed at the top know my basic life story.)
I was born and raised on the west coast. In other words, I did not have Dunkin’ Donuts growing up.
If I wanted donuts, I went to one of the following places: Donut Alley, Safeway, the gas station or anywhere that sold Krispy Kremes. At this time in my life coffee was a non-story, because I did not start to drink coffee until my last couple of years in college.
It was not until I went to school at the University of Wisconsin that I was introduced to Dunkin’ Donuts. Initially it was brought to my attention by the kids from the east coast who clamored for their Dunkin’ Donuts coffee.
Finally, the summer between my junior and senior year of college I tried Dunkin’ Donuts for the first time. I was instantly hooked.
Even before I ever tried Dunkin’ Donuts, I was fascinated by the company. I needed to know why people from the east coast swore by it, and more importantly why is there at least one location per mile in the tri-state area?
Fast forward to today. I currently live above a Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins love child.
I go there a few times a week and continuously fascinated by the various ways Dunkin’ Donut goes about updating their menu to keep their brand fresh. Yet, it was not one of the blatant changes (i.e. the new summer drinks) that motivated me to write this blog, but the subtle things Dunkin’s staff member do each time I go in.
Lately, Munchkins (the Dunkin’ Donuts’ donut hole) has been a staple in my order. I order four for a dollar, which fills the hole in my stomach (pun intended) and doesn’t kill me with calories.
However, the person who takes my order always throws in one or two extra Munchkins. It is a nice gesture and unquestionably a positive move for their brand.
It would be a nice surprise too, if when I opened the brown bag of donuts I happened to notice a couple extra free Munchkins, but that never does happen.
Every time the person who fills my order tells me, in a way too suave manner, that they tossed in a couple extra for me. In a way it feels cheap, and seems to negate the intended good of giving their consumer additional free Munchkins.
Is Dunkin’ Donuts helping or hurting their brand with this tactic? Your thoughts?
I think you’d better quit while you’re ahead. My experience with D&D is quite the opposite. I’ve never been given anything from them that I didn’t pay for, and in fact when I try to use coupons, I almost always get a dirty look.
Last year when I was working in Philly, I had a coupon book from them offering free donuts and/or coffee. I would stop in and use them, and got the same response from different stores… the dirty look and then the employees making jokes at my expense. Did I understand the words? No, I don’t speak Hindi. But you don’t need to be a mind reader to tell they were calling me cheap and talking about how they hate me (or the coupons). Regardless, it was nasty, and is a big reason I don’t go there more often.
Finally, there are a few D&D’s that are around my mom’s house (near Philly), and they notoriously will round up the bill to the next dollar and won’t give change unless you demand it… they think it’s acceptable to automatically drop it in the tip cup.
Bottom line- I love the brand but strongly dislike the owner/operators of many of them. And if they want to give me free munchkins, I’ll gladly take them whether they point it out or not.
Taking the free Munchkins seems like best move to me. I’ve never gotten extra, though I’ve also never been overcharged like the commenter above.
It does bother me that they’ve essentially created and trademarked a new name for “doughnut holes” for the east coast set, but I’m a huge fan of Dunkin’s unpretentious (albeit oversweetened) drinks and munchies anyway. Nothing will ever top Donut Alley in my book, but I’ve been a proud supporter of Dunkin for the past five years.
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