The core market for Dunkin' Donuts is the segment of the population that feels uncomfortable with the word
"panini." To accommodate them, the company changed the name of one of their new sandwiches to "stuffed
melt," but this isn't the end of their push to make customers more comfortable.
In an article (subscription only) in the Wall Street Journal, the marketing and branding teams of Dunkin' Donuts revealed their research has shown there are two main groups in their potential customer base, dubbed "tribes." In the first tribe, there are people to frequent Starbucks. They like the atmosphere there and want their coffees with a couch; Dunkin' locations are too bare-bones for them. The second tribe is the Dunkin' tribe. These make up the core audience for Dunkin' donuts and are "bewildered and turned off by the atmosphere at Starbucks." When they do, perchance, wander into a Starbucks, they "don't get it."
To keep the existing customers happy while bringing in new ones, Dunkin' Donuts is making some changes. In addition to renaming some of their products, they are bringing in new foods, like dough-wrapped pork and "Dunkin' Dawgs" to encourage customers to come in at lunch time, as well as cookies and other baked goods to bring them in in the afternoons. The pastry cases and espresso bars will be revamped to look flashier, but there will still be no couches. They don't want customers to feel too comfortable because it actually, according to their research, makes the Dunkin' tribe uncomfortable.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-10-2006 @ 7:10AM
HotFish said...
And where do those of us who frequent DD solely because they have the best coffee (and cheapest, too) of all of the coffee houses? Where is my niche with the coffee giants? The only place I wouldn't choose DD's coffee would be if it were only offered at WalMart. With 2 DD's within 3 miles of me, I never have to pay for inferior coffee, and never have to venture into any of the 3 Starbucks/Barney's either. But a couch and some books would be nice...
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4-10-2006 @ 7:53AM
Finished.Law.School said...
Why should Dunkin Donuts be compared to Starbucks? Starbucks is not known for food, it is known for rubbish coffee and Indian people.
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4-10-2006 @ 7:58AM
Finished.Law.School said...
Dammit, Dunkin Donuts is known for the Indians, not Starbucks...
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4-10-2006 @ 9:28AM
bellboy said...
I think it is simply about personal taste and preference. Too often you hear people disagree with movie, art, and food critics. Why is that?
The article speaks for itself, if you like a "panini" you will go to Panera or Starbucks;
if you like a "stuffed melt" then it's Friendlys or Dunkin. (No matter how similar or different the atmosphere or preparation may be)
People are just different, don't badmouth them because of that.
Be proud of your Tribe, Dunkin is proud to server you.
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4-10-2006 @ 9:43AM
joanie0624 said...
at dd what came first the coffee or donuts
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4-10-2006 @ 5:16PM
Sanani Johnny said...
I don't think the regular customer distinctions are as black & white as this article makes them out to be. At Starbucks there are plenty of regulars from every social strata and the company has offerings catered to each taste. Brewed coffee for the homeless, working class, and people who just like good strong brewed coffee, frappuccinos for kids and sweet toothed lower classes...and cappuccinos/lattes/mochas etc for the middle and upper classes. Our tastes are clearly influenced by our socioeconomic background and it is very easy to tell when someone is drinking something outside of their class position. I think a large chunk of the Dunkin Donuts customers are synonymous with the Starbucks customers that sit outside smoking at a Starbucks, or come through the drive-thru puffin away ordering caramel frappuccinos with extra caramel and extra shots.
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4-10-2006 @ 5:21PM
Firenzi Ristretto said...
Dunkin' Donuts isn't a coffee house- it is a donut shop that sells decent coffee. Coffee Houses and cafes are places that you go to in order to relax and read, chat with friends, do homework, listen to music, write etc. Dunkin Donuts environment is not conducive to those things and wasn't designed for those things. It's like going to McDonalds to relax and read a book.
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4-11-2006 @ 4:02PM
Mike Wallace said...
http://www.associatedcontent.com/pop_print.cfm?content_type=article&content_type_id=19629
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4-23-2006 @ 1:48PM
sandra said...
I quit going to DD because they no longer make my favorites, the donut with the handle which used to be their signature donut and they no longer make the long cake cruller.
I live in the northern VA area and there are 3 Dunkins in my town all owned by the same foreigner. I asked why they no longer make these donuts and was told that the baker didn't like making them. Hell of an answer.
I emailed Dunkin's headquarters about this and they requested my snail mail address so they could send me coupons for free donuts. Now if I can't get the donuts I want, why would I bother to go and use the coupons??
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