Estratégias de marketing para mitigação dos impactos da covid-19 em cafeterias especializadas no Brasil

Abstract

Coffee, the second worldwide most consumed beverage, is an important product that integrates a series of commercial relationships throughout a global chain, most of it still a commodity. In the last decades, however, the international market has experienced several transformations in the forms of production, processing, and commercialization of the grains, as well as in the brewing methods of the beverage and valorization levels of the product and objectives of its consumption, emphasizing the concept and the specialty coffees niche. In this respect, coffee shops stand out as representatives of the sector that have greater direct contact with final consumers, and a strong performance-based on face-to-face service. This work aimed to identify the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the performance of specialized coffee shops in Brazil, by probing the marketing strategies adopted in adaptation to this new market environment. To this end, semi-structured, in-depth virtual interviews were conducted with partners/owners or representatives of coffee shops in Brazil, selected for their market positioning and recognition as a reference in working with specialty coffees. For the data analysis, the technique of qualitative, semantic, and categorical content analysis of closed grid was used, with thematic categories related to the variables of the Marketing Mix. Through these methods, it was observed that the social isolation measures and all the subsequent consequences, caused a significant reduction in the revenue of the cafeterias, which worked essentially with face-to-face service before the pandemic.The new scenario put them in a position to adapt actions related to the optimization of the product portfolio, adhesion to new distribution channels (especially delivery and e-commerce), the effective insertion of digital means of communication (especially in e-commerce sites and on the social media – especially Instagram) and the price adjustment proportional to the new economic situation, both experienced for its suppliers and its customers. The demand for fast adjustment in this period emphasizes the importance of always being in line with technological advances and the understanding of consumer behavior in the current conjuncture. The increase in consumer awareness, the search for transparency in information, and greater interest in technical knowledge about specialty coffees go alongside the apparent movement of closer links in the coffee supply chain.