Today I had to drive back from Daventry and I suddenly remembered a lovely gallery with the best coffee shop downstairs there. I rarely go there, so I thought I would grab the opportunity.
But when I got to the shop it wasn’t there! I must have looked surprised because a woman lent out a shop door and asked if I was ok? I explained and she said it had shut down 8 months ago. She said I could have a coffee in her place if I wanted. I wandered in and she made me a latte. She told me that she had started it as a wellbeing cafe where people could come to be with others, play games, or talk and always have friendly people to talk to if they were lonely.
It hadn’t taken off the way she had wanted. People didn’t seem to understand what she was doing. I looked around and could see the issues straight away. She wasn’t addressing their problems first before offering the solution. I asked her if she wanted a few ideas and we sat and chatted over coffee. What for me was a quick brain dump of obvious marketing ideas to create growth was, for her, completely new and exciting. She was so grateful she cried. It made me emotional too to see her.
It’s easy to forget how much good marketing can change the future for people.
Maybe it was meant to be.