The $0 Budget Rebrand
Iowa City, IA | Wild BIll’s Coffeeshop | 2019-2020
Driving 15% Sales Growth on a $0 Marketing Budget
Challenge
A legacy campus coffee shop staffed by people with disabilities despite a powerful mission and dedicated team
Low brand awareness and outdated assets
No prior marketing leadership
$0 marketing budget
High competition in the local coffeeshop market
Strategy
Rebrand and reposition coffeeshop with new brand narrative and storytelling
Drive awareness and in-store traffic by creating a unique in-store experience
Build community and campus partnerships
Define the brand’s core audiences and customer segments
Launch loyalty program to turn that goodwill into repeat revenue
Key Results
Achieved 15% increase in in-store sales within 6 months via a multichannel strategy
Led a full rebrand product launch campaign, including new logo, signage, visual identity, messaging, and positioning
Developed 2 distinct audiences for students and local residents—positioning the shop as a "convenient social hub" for students and a "purpose-driven destination" for locals
Hosted 30+ attendees at National Disability Employee Awareness Night to celebrate staff and educate the community
The Rollout
Organic Social Growth: Developed a weekly content calendar to rank organic campaigns on Instagram and Facebook without paid spend
Loyalty Mechanics: Created a loyalty program to drive repeat visits and gamify the "social hub" experience
Event Marketing: Partnered with campus orgs to host the National Disability Employee Awareness Night
Persona Development: Built and activated distinct messaging tracks for Students (Convenience/Impact) vs. Locals (Heart/Connection):
College students: Messaging focused on convenience, quality, and feel-good impact Messaging to college students of convenience and education
Local residents: Messaging centered around heart, purpose, and connection with people with disabilities