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Story / Bianka Cramblit


                                                                                                                         Bridging the





                                                                                                                         Digital Gap





                                                                                                                         during Social






                                                                                                                         Isolation














                                                                                                                                                                     A        cafe is by its nature social, it is a welcoming

                                                                                                                                                                             spot for first dates, chatting with old friends, or
                                                                                                                                                                             meeting a study group, so how can a coffee shop
                                                                                                                                                                             stay relevant during a prolonged period of social
                                                                                                                                                                     isolation? As COVID-19 shuts down businesses around the
                                                                                                                                                                     world, owners are wondering how they will keep their
                                                                                                                                                                     businesses afloat by selling specialty coffee to consumers
                                                                                                                                                                     stuck at home. Luckily, with today’s technology, cafes and
                                                                                                                                                                     roasters are thinking outside of the shop and bringing their
                                                                                                                                                                     coffee directly to their customers’ homes and to the one
                                                                                                                                                                     place they know everyone will be, their phones.
                                                                                                                                                                          From February to March, the number of Facebook
                                                                                                                                                                     Live viewers in the US increased up to 50 per cent. Insta-
                                                                                                                                                                     gram claims that their live video service has increased 70
                                                                                                                                                                     per cent and they have used the opportunity to offer live
                                                                                                                                                                     streaming on desktop for the first time. There’s never been
                                                                                                                                                                     a better time to stream your cafe live.
                                                                                                                                                                          Brands who already had a strong presence online have
                                                                                                                                                                     found it easier than ever to connect with their loyal cus-
                                                                                                                                                                     tomers during a country-wide shutdown. Others have found
                                                                                                                                                                     themselves scrambling to adapt. We spoke to cafe owners
                                                                                                                                                                     and roasters from China to the United States about what
                                                                                                                                                                     builds a trustworthy brand and the best ways to reach out
                                                                                                                                                                     to customers digitally.
                                                                                                                                                                          The innovations and tactics being developed during
                                                                                                                                                                     this crisis may be here to stay.


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