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Do you love your Dunkin Donuts coffee? You’re not alone. According to Brand Keys, Dunkin Donuts has the most loyal customers in the coffee shop category, beating out Starbucks, McDonalds and Krispy Kreme. What does this award mean and exactly what makes Dunkin Donuts a standout among other coffee brands in the limited service restaurant market?
Since 1997, Brand Keys, a marketing consulting company, has been tracking the “Customer Loyalty Engagement Index”, an index they developed to project customer brand loyalty in the next 12-18 months. The highest marks go to those brands that go the furthest to meet or exceed customer expectations on specific benchmarks that are established for each category. In the coffee category, the aware goes to the business that does the best job of meeting customer expectations for taste, quality and service.
Robert Passikoff, the founder and president of Brand Keys, told QSRWeb, a publication devoted to the Quick Service Restaurant industry, “In what has turned into a more and more competitive category, it is a tribute to the Dunkin’ brand that it has been able to meet the expectations consumers have when it comes to their coffee.”
Founded in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg, Dunkin Donuts licensed its first franchise coffee shop in 1955. This year, the company marks its 60th BirthDDay with promotions and new retro packaging—at over 6,000 Dunkin Donuts coffee shops around the country and another 2,440 outside the United States. This year, they’ll sell more than 1 billion cups of hot coffee and iced coffee, and over 900 million donuts around the world. And no matter where you find a Dunkin Donuts coffee shop, you can be assured that you’ll get the same great flavor that you’re used to back home.
Dunkin Donuts has stayed at the top of its game by tuning in to its customers and giving them what they want. They know their market well, and go out of their way to cater to the busy mom, regular Joe or on-the-go patron with specials and products designed to make it easy to get your fix of Dunkin’s. Dunkin’s is not and has never pretended to be a chi-chi coffee shop. They’re for the grab and go crowd who want good coffee, served hot and fast so that they can get on with their lives.
In recent years, Dunkin Donuts has diversified from their original traditional donuts, muffins and coffee menu to offer sandwiches and smoothies in fruit and coffee flavors. After making fun of the la-di-da menus of that “other coffee chain”, DD joined the competition in offering espresso based drinks alongside their traditional drip coffee. They’ve also moved their coffee out onto the supermarket shelves, so that customers can take home a bag of Dunkin’s coffee in both ground and whole bean varieties.
Most recently, Dunkin Donuts has added the DDSmart menu, a menu of coffees, bagels, sandwiches and treats that meet healthy eating standards. The line includes egg-white only versions of their popular breakfast sandwiches, multigrain bagels and muffins, and light lattes that offer a treat without the guilt.
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Wickett says
Interesting. I am for the first time drinking Dunkin Donuts coffee as I type. I must say, I am not impressed. Sure, it has a nice coffee flavor, but I prefer my beans to be roasted a bit longer. I feel like they’re coffee is a bit dull, and certainly not worth the price. I even bought the whole beans, so that I could get the full flavoring out of it. I may change my mind a bit with more time, but as for right now, I’m not all that intrigued with it.
Dennis Trimble says
Here in Canada, and in the Northeast U.S,A,, Tim Horton’s coffee is best. Beats out Starbucks, Krispy Kreme failed in Canada. In the Ottawa area, Robins Donuts reigns supreme. Timmy’s Drive-thru is the greatest.
chris says
Booo! Living in the northeast all my life i have grown to despise Dunks coffee. If you like a light roast you’re in luck, but if you are looking for a nice robust cup of joe, you will think their coffee tastes like hot water.
They offered a shred of hope recently by offering “Dunkin Dark” as a iced coffee brew, but when i tried to order a hot cup of the stuff – no luck.
Luckily a few great small coffee shops have opened up for people who expect more for a cup of coffee than hot and mild.
michael k says
Bottom line is they make a rich mellow coffee that is second to none