By Rex Hammock, CEO
We write a lot about the role customer- and content-driven media can serve as a foundation for building deep, engaging relationships between customers and shoppers, owners and members, and members and organizations.
Until recently, however, I had not considered the relationship potential of a bank like Capital One Café. That is, however, until I listened to the “Audible Original” book Caffeine: How Coffee and Tea Created The Modern World. According to its author, Michael Pollan, caffeine has a “unique ability to entertain, inform, and perform in a world where an estimated two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day.”
That is definitely a relationship any marketer would love to enjoy with a latte. Each Capital One Café has a full-service coffee bar, with plenty of space to get comfortable and get work done. There are even private community rooms dedicated to registered nonprofits, alumni groups and student clubs, which can book the room for free to use for meetings or events. In addition to free workshops on topics such as building savings, checking your credit report or making a budget, anyone—regardless of whether they are a Capital One customer—can make a free one-on-one money coaching appointment.
But that’s not all.
With the success of coffee under their belts, I’m guessing Capital One felt the need for something even more enjoyable—and addictive—than caffeine: shopping.
Capital One Shopping is a free browser extension that automatically applies the best coupon codes at checkout and lets you know when prices drop on products you’ve viewed and purchased.
According to the Capital One Shopping website, 4 million users have already signed on. Last year, Capital One Shopping found users more than $160 million in savings.
Takeaway: No, we are not suggesting that banking is addictive (that’s been established). We’re just saying that understanding the passions that people have is often the foundation for great relationships—and time for coffee and shopping.
Image: Capital One
About Hammock Healthcare Idea Email | This post is part of Hammock’s award-winning Idea Email series. Idea Emails are sent every other week and share one insightful marketing idea. Idea Email comes in two flavors: Original and Healthcare. To subscribe to the original Idea Email (general marketing ideas), click here . To subscribe to the Healthcare Idea Email (healthcare marketing ideas), click here.