Sensi Cafe
Writer’s note:
“Sensi Cafe” is a fictional coffee shop I created. This is its speculative advertising campaign with a vision centered on sensual experience. For customers, the cafe seeks to animate all five of the senses: sight, smell, hearing, taste, touch. My copy intends to creatively capture this vision.
Homepage:
Headline
Details
Action
Good vibes for all.
Sensi is here to serve you.
Try our coffee, have a muffin.
Stay awhile and listen, see, feel.
Sensi Cafe. Open now.
Good, simple coffee.
Our Sensi blend is organic, great-tasting, and comes in three simple flavors: Sweet, Spicy, Sweet+Spicy.
Gourmet Muffins.
We see muffins as one of life’s greatest joys. Our homemade blueberry recipe is to die for. Have one with your coffee. And take your time, you’ve got it here.
Big Mood Lighting.
Sensi’s interior is always darker than the outside world; this is so you notice the lights within. And the shadows they cast. Sit under the warmth of our tables and play a game of cards, or bring your own board games. Or, sit on one of our recliners in the shade, and just let go.
Music to vibe to.
Only pleasant sounds waft from our speakers. Soft beats, beautiful piano melodies, the calming orchestrations of the smoothest jazz. Our music works for you. If you have a request, lay it on us. Your best recs make it onto our playlist for all time.
Our staff are also part-time botanists (no really).
Plants are our greatest ally. That’s why every inch of open space in our cafe is full of them. In pots and plots, draped over walls and underneath the lamps, they sprawl through Sensi. Diverse and well-cared for by our talented staff, they help make your world better without much notice. But please, stop anyway and smell our roses.
Escape or Plot.
Within the walls of our cafe, relax. Escape from the world for a spell. Or plot your next move. While you are here, you are OK. Consider Sensi as a life checkpoint, a midway zone between your life’s next actions. Make our cafe a place to pause, breathe, sip some joe, and assess yourself with presence. Or just vibe. Up to you.
We hope you will make Sensi Cafe somewhere that you go. To feel.
About Us:
~ Writer’s Note: a short “About” page on the origins and mission statement of Sensi Cafe.
Who We Are
Sensi Cafe was started by dreamers.
We wanted to create a cafe experience unlike any other, one centered around the people IN the cafe, on either side of the exchange. Our baristas are as much a part of the cafe’s aura as the scent of our coffees and muffins or the relaxing tunes of our playlist. Our cooperative business structure reflects our interdependence as a group of people that see our life here together as more than just ‘business.’ We may not be family, as workers and customers, but we try to make every interaction more than just a transaction.
Our cafe interior capturing all five of the senses was an idea that appealed to us and what we wanted more of from our town’s places of gathering.
Thus, the design of our cafe reflects the self-determined manifestation of our collective inner dream into a reality.
What We Do
We serve coffee but build community too. We make coffee for both early-morning, in-and-out commuters and sit-and-stay-awhile remote workers. We also make coffee for late-night readers and weekend board gamers. We make our coffee for ourselves, too.
From the beginning, we wanted our space to be one where people can gather. Old friends and new friends; classic stories retold and novel experiences renewed around our tables. We desire for Sensi to be a place that people feel like they can freely gather.
More than just a corner coffee shop with a simple menu, we host events like board game nights, book clubs, and the occasional concert.
Join our newsletter to keep track of all that we do.
Why We Do It
For you! Everyone is looking for a place to go. To grab a coffee and meet a friend. To sit down and settle in, before or after your day.
Sensi Cafe is for you. We hope you enjoy our scents, our music, our service. And please, don’t stay a stranger! In the spirit of our cooperative structure, we are ever seeking feedback on our enterprise. Click here to fill out a feedback form, or here to hit up our suggestion box. Our playlist is a well-gathered collection of our workers’ signature choices alongside that of our customer community.
We look forward to seeing you come in! You can stay as long as you like.
Email:
INTRO - sign-up intro email heavily resembling the homepage
EVENT - for events such as: live music, book club, board game night
NEW ITEM - for a new muffin recipe
INTRO
~ heavily resembles the website homepage
Email Subject Line:
☕SENSI CAFE☕ is now open!
HEADLINE:
Welcome to Sensi Cafe, the coffee shop dedicated to awakening all of the senses!
SUBHEADLINE:
Good Vibes For All. Sensi Cafe is here to serve the community.
Try our coffee, have a muffin. Stay awhile and listen, see, feel. Open now!
BODY:
Located at the corner of [X and Y], inside our cafe walls awaits not only a new experience of coffee - but of community.
Introducing: Sensi Cafe, the ‘sensual’ cafe, designed to activate all five of your senses. Your next spot to chat and chill, listen, bask, and feel the food, drink and lives around you.
[Three photos of the cafe interior, from different angles]
Tasty coffee, gourmet muffins.
[in-cafe photos of the coffee and muffins]
~ made with great flavors and ingredients, our blueberry muffins go with our coffee like peanut butter and jelly. Or Batman and Robin. Or Nutella and… everything. (Our muffins are always made fresh, with more than a splash of Nutella.) Also, we sell our coffee beans! (But the muffin recipe is a secret...)
Mood music and lowkey lights.
[stylish photos of the in-cafe lighting and the record player]
~ the interior of our cafe is meant to create an atmosphere. Of fun conversation, or chilled quietude. That is up to you. Our playlist is online and we take recommendations! [Link: to “Sensi’s Playlist”, public on Spotify]
Vibe with our plants, chat with locals, play a board game.
[photos of the cafe populated with varieties of house plants and smiling people]
~ Sensi Cafe’s mission statement is simple: Provide a communal space for people to come and be themselves. We don’t just want you to enjoy our coffee but also each other! Bring a friend, a game, your ideas. All are welcome. Stay as long as you like.
ACTION:
Sign up here for our weekly newsletter to hear of events and announcements!
[BUTTON] [Sign Up: name + email]
[BUTTON] [Our Hours.]
[BUTTON] [Our Menu.]
[BUTTON] [Our Coffee Beans.]
[BUTTON] [Our Playlist.]
EVENT
~ email marketing copy for theoretical events, such as: Live music, book club, board game night
Subject Line(s):
🎵Live music at the Sensi Cafe!🎵
Sensi Cafe’s 2021 📚Book Club Series📚
Sensi Cafe’s 🎲Board Game Night!🎲
HEADLINE:
This Friday, Sensi Cafe will be welcoming rising local band “Gojira” to play!
[photos of band at previous live performances / album cover / photo shoot of band members standing in a field, etc.]
BODY:
Gojira is a renowned local band and we are happy to have them perform live in our cafe - for you!
See their music here 🎵[Link]🎵
~ $5 entry fee at the door. ~
In the lead-up to their performance starting at 7:00pm, Happy Hour will start early, at 5:00pm. Half-price coffee and muffins!
[photos of the cafe interior at night, full of people]
Stay after their performance to meet the band and support [Local Cause A]. Gojira has partnered with us and we have pledged to give half of our proceeds from entry fees to tonight’s event to [Local Cause A]!
ACTION:
On Friday, come out and support this awesome band and a good cause!
[BUTTON - website landing page for the event]
~
HEADLINE:
Sensi Cafe will be hosting a bi-weekly book club!📖
BODY:
Every other Tuesday, starting [date], Sensi Cafe will be hosting a community book club! 📖
Anyone is welcome to join, for free.
[photo from inside the cafe at day time, with guests and staff in a circle of seats discussing together]
We will be meeting in the fireplace area of the cafe every other Tuesday starting next week, at around 6ish. (Latecomers are welcome to join the discussion, no hard deadline).
The book club will be ongoing, with each book finished over the course of a month. To keep it simple, we will be hosting two discussion sessions - one for the first half of the book, and one for the second half.
[photo of To Kill a Mockingbird and Dune book covers, held by a staff person]
For book one, we will be reading To Kill A Mockingbird (1960). Next month, we’ll be reading Dune (1965). See here 📚[Link]📚 for our crowdsourced list of potential books for the club. The more input we have from our clubbers, the better!
[photo of chalk sign outside the cafe storefront, with the book club announcement and a cute drawing of a mockingbird]
ACTION:
Come Tuesday, join us in expanding our hearts and minds through the vivifying art of literature!
[BUTTON - website landing page for the book club]
~
HEADLINE:
On Thursday, welcome to Sensi Cafe’s Board Game Night!
[photo of board games spread out over a table within the cafe]
BODY:
Do you enjoy board games? 🤔
Do you know how to play them? 🎲
Either way, we hope you’ll join us on Thursdays for our weekly board game night. Or cards, or other tabletop games of your choice! 🏰🐉
[photo of the 3 board games the cafe will have on hand - Candy Land, Catan, Arkham Horror]
Our three main board games will be available for any to play with at our tables. First come, first serve. If you have your own board game, feel free to bring it and invite others to play.
[photo of coffee and muffins on a table while a group plays a game]
Sensi hopes to harbor a fun-first atmosphere of learning and entertainment. Remember to treat everyone at the table with respect. Teach others what you know about the game!
[photo of chalk sign outside the cafe storefront, with the board game night announcement and a drawing of some dice rolling]
We hope to make our board game night a weekly tradition here at Sensi.
ACTION:
Come join the gaming fun on Thursday!
[BUTTON - website landing page for board game night]
NEW ITEM
~ email marketing copy for a new recipe at the cafe, coffee and/or food
Subject Line:
Sensi is introducing a new muffin to the mix!
HEADLINE:
[photo of the new muffin recipe, freshly baked and ready to serve]
~ 🧁Try our new Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Muffin!🧁
BODY:
We have just introduced a new muffin to the Sensi family! Come by this weekend and try our new Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip muffin with a coffee. And don’t forget to say hi!
ACTION:
[BUTTON - website landing page for the updated menu, with the new item included]
Direct Mail:
The Coffee Card
Art Flyer
“The Coffee Card”
~ to be mailed to customers, along with a short marketing slip with some copy on it explaining it
HEADLINE:
Introducing 🃏The Coffee Card🃏 - our unique rewards card here at Sensi Cafe. This is our gift to you.
[photo of the card, up close - a simple black design, title “Sensi Cafe” - good vibes for all - with 10 punch stars on the bottom and a bumpy strip on the top of the back]
BODY:
Forget the complex apps that require you to buy 10,000 coffees to get your next 1 free… 😑
Sensi’s reward card is designed for simplicity, with a satisfying tactile feel to it.
Buy 10 coffees and get your next coffee or muffin for free.
That’s it. We’ll punch your card each time you buy and take it off your hands when the 11th comes, replacing it with a free coffee or muffin of your choice! 😄
[photo of someone holding a card with 8 holes punched, handing it over the counter to a staff person in the cafe]
But that’s not even the best part about our coffee card. Flip it over and scratch the band of hi-tech material there at the top of the card. When you do, at home or on the subway or wherever you are in the world - it will be like you are right back in the aura of our cafe! 🤙
[the back of the card has a scratch-and-sniff band that releases the recognizable smell of Sensi’s unique coffee blend]
After your Coffee Card is expended, we will give you another!
ACTION:
Come in now to pick up your card and get started on earning those reward coffees and muffins!
“Art Flyer”
~ Sensi teams up with a freelance artist to design and draw the front side of a direct mail item - the size of a card or small flyer/brochure, with spectacular/peculiar art on the front + concise copy on the back, meant to intrigue potential customers while also featuring an artist
FRONT - 3 iterations:
[the drawing + “Sensi Cafe” in different wacky fonts]
Sensi Cafe. Good vibes for all.
Sensi Cafe. Stay awhile.
Sensi Cafe. For all your senses.
~ [credit to the artist and their socials]
BACK -
[black, white font, simple - contrasted with the front side]
The cafe is located [address]. Coffee. Music. Muffins. Friends. Come join the community.
[usernames for instagram + twitter, website URL]
Banner:
3 simple, different banner ad ideas
Banner Ad 1
FRAME 1 [coffee image]
Wake up and smell the coffee!
FRAME 2 [muffin image]
Try one of our muffins.
FRAME 3 [people playing a board game]
And roll for initiative!
~
Banner Ad 2
FRAME 1 [seated customer]
A zone for chilled relaxation.
FRAME 2 [conversing customers]
A space for lively conversation.
FRAME 3 [wide shot of populated interior]
Sensi Cafe. The place for community!
~
Banner Ad 3
FRAME 1 [someone smelling a cup of coffee]
Did you know smell produces the strongest memories?
FRAME 2 [photo of Sensi’s beans]
Our aromatic coffee beans…
FRAME 3 [photo of cafe interior]
...will remind you of home.
Tone Guide:
~ questions and answers on what kind of language is to be used for all marketing copy for the Sensi Cafe
Positioning Statement
~ encapsulating description of brand, product/service, differentiating vision
Sensi Cafe is a unique coffee shop offering food, drink and a community space for the neighborhood. Tasty treats for reasonable prices provide the benefits to consumers; positive vibes and the sensually satisfying atmosphere within the cafe interior make for differentiation among its competition.
Hierarchy
~ the most important aspects of Sensi Cafe’s marketing copy
Community-minded - trying to build a community, a sticky and socially complex relationship with every customer that walks through that door (or reads any marketing copy on their computer, phone, in their mail, etc.)
About the space - Sensi is about the space of the shop and its sensual stimulations -- the music, the mood lighting, the plants and lively conversations going on within the walls.
Simple products - 3 coffee flavors + 1 muffin, that’s it. We aren’t necessarily selling coffee and muffins, we are selling the cafe experience itself.
Brand Style
~ the style that the brand speaks in, through images and words
Friendly, warm, welcoming
Sometimes uses poetic language
Comedic, sometimes sassy, overtones, but never punching or overtly negative
Prominence
~ the most prominently featured subtext, ideal, or telos, to Sensi’s marketing campaigning
Community & Interdependence.
Descriptors
~ words to describe the brand as if it were a person
Chill
Friendly
Introspective, “deep”
Helpful
Conversant - enjoys long and interactive conversation
Key brand words and phrases
~ Community, Sensual, Environment, Space, Simple, Vibes, Mood, Aura, Music, Quietude, Escape, Gourmet muffins, Lowkey, Live, Conversation
Persona:
~ A “persona” is a description of an imaginary person that represents one of your brand’s target audiences, to be understood and marketed to.
Question & Answer:
Is this person male or female? - All.
How old is this person? - 15-∞
How much does this person earn per year? - $25K+
Is he/she married? - Maybe, probably not.
What kind of car does he/she drive? - Economical sedan, maybe electric.
What magazines does he/she read? - Twitter
What does this person like to do for fun? - Read, talk, cinema, artistic endeavors.
What are his/her favorite television shows? - Prestige dramas + modern comedy. Some reality TV, some anime.
What would this person like about this brand? - Chill vibes in a comfortable space. No frills menu. Organic materials.
What would this person want more of from this brand? - Community events and live music.
What would this person want less of from this brand? - Pretentiousness, expensiveness.
How often does this person use/purchase from this brand? Why? - Weekly, some daily. For the vibes and the friends.
Are there any problems that this brand is not solving for this person? - A more robust menu, potentially. A place to be at more hours of the day.
“Sensi Jojo”
~ outlining the composite customer for Sensi Cafe
Background information: Millennial/Zoomer, grew up doodling and listening to indie music. Raised on cartoons and/or literature. Went to a liberal arts school for creative fulfillment; went to business school to get a job, got it, and inevitably became disillusioned. Comes to coffee shops for the whole experience. To focus and to rest. And maybe, to meet people while they work...
How they use the brand: To Joe/Jill = Jojo - Sensi is a haven, a potential home away from home. Daily coffee, weekly muffin. A space for them to work and play. To join book clubs and see live music. To chat with the staff and recline with a happy thought on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
Why they like the brand: They like the brand because it does not act like a brand / corporation. Sensi does not try to do too much, overstepping with sales or volume. Sensi is a *zone* more than it is a brand. It's perceived as a place in the neighborhood, not a company.
Why they don’t use the brand more: Can’t spend all your time in a coffee shop. Not enough events or draws to return for special occasions. Friends haven’t been converted yet and still want to meet somewhere else.
Blog:
~ a short blog piece(s) on Sensi Cafe and its sensual telos.
Sensi Cafe’s telos = sensuality
Sensi Cafe’s telos is that of sensuality.
Words defined: ‘Telos’ refers to the full potential or inherent purpose or objective of a person or thing; by ‘sensuality’ we mean the biological system of an organism to harbor sensation, the process of gathering information about the world and responding to stimuli.
In all, we mean that our cafe’s core purpose within the community is to be a place to gather and feel. We sell coffee and muffins, we house tables and wi-fi, yes - but more importantly to us, we are offering up a sacred space to be. Savor coffee, munch on muffins, vibe to music, converse with your neighbors, let our scent carry with you out the door and back into the outside world. Come here to work or play, to engage or relax yourself. Our hope with Sensi Cafe is to let at least one of your senses fully release itself for a spell during your day.
We want Sensi to be a community in and of itself, in all the ways that a corner coffee shop might be. We are open to any suggestions, on lighting, music, flavors, interior arranging of tables, chairs, plants. Events are communal and dependent upon customer presence and interactions. Local bands are welcome to venue with us. Cooperatively owned and operated, we put our money where our mouth is, as all our staff share in the power and profits of the business operation itself. The intention with such transparent structuring is to give our workers and customers real agency in the cafe’s continuous running.
With Sensi Cafe’s telos in hand in all these ways, we aim to base every company decision on such purposeful, sensual, communal ingredients, without compromise.