Staying true to your clientele

There are a few demographics that you just don’t mess with, one of them being parents of young children. If you get this group off side, be prepared to have your armour ready. This was the case when the owner, Jodie Morris (a mother herself) of a French boutique style cafe in NSW dared to announce on social media that her cafe was ‘not child friendly.’ This remark was taken from the following statement which when read in it’s entirety, does appear to be very diplomatic.

“’Are we child friendly?’ If you are looking for a cafe with a children’s menu, baby chinos, a play area, lounges for your children to jump on, vast space for your prams, an area for your children to run rampant, and annoy other customers, while you are oblivious to them — then the short answer is No, we are not child friendly. HOWEVER, if you would like to bring your children here and they are happy to sit at a table with you, while you enjoy a coffee, and are well behaved, please come in. Otherwise, there are plenty of places that are specifically designed to entertain your children.”

Although there has been a backlash from parents who enjoyed the freedom of letting their little ones roam free amongst the antique furnishings of The Little French Cafe, this has been swallowed up by the tidal wave of support from her targeted market and clientele, customers who want to enjoy a quiet coffee and pastry in elegant surroundings.

Due to Ms Morris’s direct approach on an issue that many people would shy away from in fear of bad publicity, this has actually worked in her favour with her business being as busy as ever and notes of support continuing on her Facebook page. The attention which has been positive as well as negative has been handled in a diplomatic fashion. The posts on The Little French Cafe’s social media are acknowledging the wide spread attention this comment has gained but with pictures of the return of the infamous Nutella Cruffins, Ms Morris is simply trying to move on and get on with business. A request for an interview was declined with her indicating that everything had already been said.

The brazen stance the Cafe has made is a testament that Jodie Morris knew her customers and clientèle well enough that her statement would not isolate her target market, instead it has unified them.

This is a great example of how knowing your target market and catering specifically to their needs will benefit your business. If Ms Morris tried to incorporate the needs of a different market such as creating a play area for small children, her business brand would be losing it’s direction and she would undoubtedly also be losing the customers she had initially catered for. The Little French Cafe’ is remaining focused on it’s image and because of this, even with some negative press, will continue to trade as a successful business.

If you need help in identifying your target market and ensuring your brand is attracting the right type of customers, contact us today or pop in for a meeting where we can assist you in creating relevant and strategic marketing. We even have a fish tank that your young children can look at.