Tim Hortons Mini Brand Audit Principles of Advertising And
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Tim Hortons Mini Brand Audit Principles of Advertising and Branding Ryan Starr Brand Elements https://www.timhortons.com/ca/en/index.php The Brand Tim Hortons Brand stems from Tim Horton himself; the Canadian Hockey Legend. It was established in 1964 and in 1967 Tim Hortons became business partners win Jon Joyce. When Tim Horton passed, in 1974, Ron Joyce created the Tim Hortons Children's Foundation in memory of Tim Horton, due to his love of children and helping the less fortunate (Timeline; Corporate, 2019). This is where Tim Horton’s Brand originated from as they have a “helping hand” brand attitude and are always supporting the local with charities and fundraisers. Slogan and Mission Statement Tim Hortons Mission statement outlines their goals as a brand and business; “Our guiding mission is to deliver superior quality products and services for our guests and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships” (Tim Hortons, N.D.). Tim Horton has effectively displayed this through their fundraising and foundations, they also display this through their ability to deliver quality fresh products as new coffee is brewed fresh regularly. Over the years the Tim Hortons Slogan has changed, it has developed from “You’ve Always Got Time for Tim’s” to “It’s Time for Tim’s” and then from “Tim Hortons, Always Fresh” to “Always Fresh, Always Tim Hortons.” Tim Hortons also has a Christmas slogan as well; “Because you can’t wrap a double double” (Tim Hortons Slogan List, N.D.) These slogans brand Tim Hortons as the “fresh” coffee shop, and uses the idea of “fresh” as their key differentiation from others who offer similar products. Main Product Offerings Tim Hortons main product offering would be fresh coffee and teas as they are well known for their hot beverages. Cold beverages such as iced coffee, iced caps, smoothies etc. are also included and special to the Tim Hortons Brand. They offer baked goods like Timbits, muffins and donuts as well as breakfast and lunch items. Things such as sandwiches, bagels and wraps are included in the lunch and breakfast menu. Tim Hortons launched a new produced line for canned soup. Tim’s launched chicken noodle soup, cream of broccoli, homestyle chilli, chicken & rice. This new product line allows the company to target a larger audience. This way they are getting into a competition with President's Choice and other companies which are known for canned products. Since Tim Hortons is already is a very loved brand in Canada so people will naturally gravitate towards it. Tim Hortons also has different merchandises like coffee mugs, ceramic water bottles. Take away drink trays. The company also sells its coffee products in supermarkets. A study was done in 2018 and it showed that Tim Hortons was the most at home consumed coffee brand in Canada. It accounted for 77% of the total sales (Duncan, N.D.). Packaging Tim Hortons packaging is often used for marketing purposes, different advertisements are printed onto the cups for a different range of marketing techniques. For example, Shawn Mendes was printed on the cups for support of his Hometown show in Toronto this past September (Tim Hortons partners with singer-songwriter, Shawn Mendes to celebrate his Canadian roots, 2019). Roll up the rim is another technique that utilizes the packaging for advertising as well – the cups during this time of year are all roll up the rim themed. Tim Hortons utilizes packaging effectively for advertising as well as their standard advertising techniques. Target Audience Tim Hortons' target audience is business people and working adults, families and students from the lower and middle class. Business people and working adults are the main target audience as it is a fast-food service that is conveniently located in large corporations, malls, colleges/universities and nearly every corner of a city. It is a quick stop on the way to work, for break time or even lunch. In addition, Tim’s market their brand towards families with young children through sponsorships of sports teams, free community swim-skate days, and famous Tim Horton’s Summer Camps. Grabbing a coffee for under two dollars makes this the most affordable choice for low- and middle-class citizens. The Competition Competitors Between 2010 and 2015, Tim Hortons was the undisputed leader in coffee and snacks industry in Canada with 62% market share (Tim Hortons, 2015). It was estimated that every 8 out of 10 cups of coffee sold in Canada were from Tim Hortons. Although in the last 3-4 years, new competitors like McDonalds, Starbucks, and Second Cup have arisen. As of 2017, Starbucks is ranked the 3rd favourite coffee chain in Canada, one place ahead of Tim Horton sitting at 4th with only 1,518 stores open in Canada compared to Tim Hortons 3,802 stores and Second Cup is ranked 2nd right after McDonalds (Ciolfe, 2018). Starbucks sells Italian-style espresso beverages, cold and iced shaken drinks, and both breakfast and lunch items such as pastries, salads and sandwiches. Their primary target market is men and women ages 25 to 40. They accounted for just about half (49%) of its total sales in 2018. They appeal to this consumer age group by utilizing hip, contemporary design that is consistent in its advertising and decor. Is a student of 22 years of age, I can confidently say that their market is definitely starting to branch out to younger college students as well. Their hip and modern looking restaurants attract many students to go enjoy a coffee and a few snacks while studying. Although, Starbucks prices their items higher than Tim Hortons. They don’t have a “small” size, mostly to appear to be a premium product, and to make more money. Prices start at about $2.95 for a “Tall” Coffee while Tim Hortons Small Coffee starts at $1.59 and $1.99 for a Large (Borchardt et al, N.D.). Second Cup, has been somewhat of the underdog in the coffee and snacks industry. They have a warmer feel than Starbucks, and positioned their prices in between Tim Hortons and Starbucks. They’re prices start at the high end of Tim Hortons at $1.95 but neck to neck with Starbucks for their “premium” drinks. All three restaurants sell breakfasts and lunch items with Starbucks and Second Cup selling at a higher price point ($6-$10) and Tim Hortons sticking to their lower priced menu ($4-$8) with an average difference of about $2 per food item (Menu with Price, N.D.) Point of Parity Tim Hortons McDonalds both are very affordable brands. A quality which is very valuable for the masses. Both brands offer meals for starting at $5. McDonalds is the highest consuming coffee brand in Canada. Tim Horton’s comes at number four (Coilfe, 2017). Tim Horton’s comes ahead of McDonalds for me would be its nationalist approach. Tim’s is associated with a Canadian identity. The brand has put Canada on a global map. Tim Hortons is one of the best fast food restaurant Canada has to offer. Tim’s Hortons can be found on every intersection in Canada - it’s very convenient. Most of Tim’s in Canada has drive throughs so that people do not have to stand in the line while they are trying to get to work or school. Tim’s offers a sausage/bacon muffin meal which comes with a sandwich, hash brown and a medium size coffee for about $5. Positioning Statement - Tim Hortons is involved in various community events throughout Canada. Some of those events include 1. Tim Hortons Children foundation 2. Timbits Minor Sports Program 3. Tim’s Coffee Truck 4. Smile Cookie 5. Free Skate These are some of the things that Tim Hortons is involved in. They are also involved in sponsoring various hockey events. Tim Hortons also helps small business owners not just in Canada but in Latin America as well. They help farmers who are into coffee production to grow their business. Which is not only good for farmers but it also helps the local economy to grow. It improves the standard of living in that community in general (Coffee Partnerships: Making a True Difference, 2019). Mission Statement: “Our guiding mission is to deliver superior quality products and services for our guests and communities through leadership, innovation and partnerships” (Tim Hortons, N.D.). Restaurant Brand International, a parent company which owns Tim Hortons, Burger King and Popeyes released a sustainability report in 2016. Which includes their revenue, sales, meat production, dairy production, partnerships in Canada and Overseas, market share, community events, and sponsorships. Tim Hortons sponsor major Canadian clubs in different sports. Such as hockey, soccer, Basketball, football. They sponsor Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto FC, Toronto Raptors. This way the coffee brand can be reached in every single household in Canada. (2016 Sustainability Report, N.D.). All the above-mentioned reasons make Tim Hortons the best fast food and most loved fast food chain in Canada. It is a national treasure. Point of Difference Tim Hortons is a widely valued and recognized brand name, that is currently a top 5 coffee brand across Canada (Ciolfe, 2017). The reputable coffee and dining franchise began production in 1964; since then, they have grasped a brand loyal consumer market with a diverse demographic. Their market consists of business professionals/working adults, families and students from lower-to-middle class. Customers that are not apart of the brand loyal market may associate the brand to be within the ‘fast-food’ sector; however, consumers that are brand loyal view Tim Horton’s to be more of a coffee shop, bakery, and bistro setting.