Café Béton
Officially launched in 2022, Café Béton is a retail product design business and ecommerce store pioneering the first ever lines of concrete drinkware and home goods with a sustainable approach. As lead designer and founder, I handle all creative and management aspects of the business. This includes social media, marketing, and design. In just over a year, we've built out a fully-operational website and ecommerce store, with additional shops on Facebook, Instagram, and limited offerings on Etsy. To date, we have sold nearly 200 products across the US and UK, with gross revenue in five figures, and have successfully collaborated with multiple regional businesses.
The Product
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As with similar startups, the product is the heart of the business. Material research and innovation was the driving force behind the products that are Café Béton. What started as a Master's research thesis on new and existing sustainable concrete practices and their residential applications led to a hybrid business, one that embraces industrial material innovation and seeks to bring that story to a much wider audience.
Through our research and business development, we've been able to realise and bring to market a product that is the first ever of its kind. Following our core values:
• 30% of our cement is reclaimed (CO2 reducing)
• 20-30% of our aggregate is recycled (reduces virgin raw material)
• 100% of our packaging is recyclable / reusable
• We offer a discounted exchange programme for any broken cups.
• 20-30% of our aggregate is recycled (reduces virgin raw material)
• 100% of our packaging is recyclable / reusable
• We offer a discounted exchange programme for any broken cups.
01. Developing the Brand
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Café Béton started with two ideals in mind; an obsession with concrete, and a passion for coffee. What grew from there was a line of ethical, sustainably-minded concrete products that challenge our perspectives of material, and change the way we consume our favourite products.
As such, the branding was a sort of dialogue on Brutalism and its design effects, presenting a stark appearance juxtaposed to the warmth and tactility of its final counterparts.
02. Launching the eCommerce Store
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There were two main goals for the online platform: to create a seamless, familiar online shopping experience, all the while developing an unconventional, function-forward and type-focused design that caught users' attention and encouraged reflection, just as our products do in the physical sense.
The key challenge was marrying these two ideas; the platform needed to be fast, seamless and familiar across desktop and mobile, otherwise it risked losing potential customers. But it also needed to feel like Café Béton: something new, something different.
Through nearly a year of iterative design processes, the site has continually taken shape. Bounce rate has remained a steady 55%, while conversion has trended between 1-2%. As the primary focus of Year 1 was B2B sales, this data indicates where we are developing for Year 2.
Through nearly a year of iterative design processes, the site has continually taken shape. Bounce rate has remained a steady 55%, while conversion has trended between 1-2%. As the primary focus of Year 1 was B2B sales, this data indicates where we are developing for Year 2.
Key focal points for Year 2:
• SEO and Google Search Analytics / Merchant Center
• Third-Party Platforms (expand Etsy, eBay, Faire, NuMonday, and more)
• Blog / Resource Center (curated articles around industry and best practices — both coffee and concrete)
• Email marketing strategy for lead capture / generation
• SEO and Google Search Analytics / Merchant Center
• Third-Party Platforms (expand Etsy, eBay, Faire, NuMonday, and more)
• Blog / Resource Center (curated articles around industry and best practices — both coffee and concrete)
• Email marketing strategy for lead capture / generation
Improving Organic Search & SEO
Moving into Q4 2023 and marking a full year of the ecommerce store being live, we've shifted our focus to include bolstering our organic search and SEO rankings for the next year. This aligns with our focus to evenly grow the B2C side of the business along with B2B efforts. After setting up Google Merchant, which now sees our products displayed in the 'Shopping' results on Google, we've averaged 1-2% CTR across generic search and shopping results.
Moving into Q4 2023 and marking a full year of the ecommerce store being live, we've shifted our focus to include bolstering our organic search and SEO rankings for the next year. This aligns with our focus to evenly grow the B2C side of the business along with B2B efforts. After setting up Google Merchant, which now sees our products displayed in the 'Shopping' results on Google, we've averaged 1-2% CTR across generic search and shopping results.
Evolution of the Storefront
In addition to stylistic and design layout / composition changes, we also reorganised how the products are arranged and the relative navigation. Now, the products are arranged by what the end user enjoys drinking, thus creating a more tailored, informed and consistent experience.
In addition to stylistic and design layout / composition changes, we also reorganised how the products are arranged and the relative navigation. Now, the products are arranged by what the end user enjoys drinking, thus creating a more tailored, informed and consistent experience.
03. Growing Online & Social Presence
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Across platforms, the primary goal was to create consistent, engaging content that aligned with the vision and values, while establishing the brand and its product lines. As a new retail startup in a competitive market, it was crucial to create an organic visual identity and tone of voice that differentiated the brand.
Being a small strapped startup with limited marketing budget challenged me to utilise all my content skills in organic growth and social networking. With a content strategy and schedule lined up, we launched our social efforts in late 2022. Since launch, we've seen mixed success across the board, with a growing percentage of site visits coming from Instagram / Facebook traffic (around 20%). This is attributed to more robust backlinking available on these platforms (i.e. Link in Bio) comparative to TikTok or Youtube.
Of this content, a few of our most successful posts to date have been collaborative, human-focused, and informative content. In the posts below, we've seen several thousand views across platforms, and demonstrated follower growth. Perhaps most importantly, we've been able to attribute clicks to web sales and traffic. This has inspired us to continue to develop our content strategy around our core values, who we are, and what makes Café Béton tick.
A Targeted Social Content Strategy
Through consistent posting and a refined, engaging, and collaborative strategy, utilising trends, dynamic content, and collaborative posting, we were able to grow social channels almost 100% in 12 months, and secured 2 different contract orders through social networking.
Through consistent posting and a refined, engaging, and collaborative strategy, utilising trends, dynamic content, and collaborative posting, we were able to grow social channels almost 100% in 12 months, and secured 2 different contract orders through social networking.
You can view more of my creative work on Café Béton's Instagram →.
Results:
A few key highlights:
Have sold nearly 200 products across the US and UK, with gross revenue in five figures, and have successfully collaborated with multiple regional businesses.
Built out a fully-operational website and ecommerce store, with additional shops on Facebook, Instagram, and limited offerings on Etsy.
Have worked with several local councils on medium-scale public art works via networking with Café Béton
Through consistent and curated social media content strategies, we have grown social followings and brand reach nearly 100% in under a year
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Helping clients, teams, and brands
bring creative visions to life.
bring creative visions to life.
Let's chat
If you’ve had the opportunity to view my work and would like to discuss working together, I’d love to hear from you.
© 2023 Scott Durbin