Rubricator
1. catching the wave — introduction 2. mapping the spots — communication channels 3. the wave of ideas — theoretical framework 4. brewing belonging — analysis through Uses and Gratifications Theory 5. shaping participation — analysis through Affordance Theory 6. conclusion and sources
*Instagram is a project of Meta Platforms Inc., an extremist organization whose activities are banned in Russia.
Catching the wave
Surf Coffee is not only a coffee shop chain. The brand presents itself as an international lifestyle community where coffee is connected with surfing, music, street culture, local spots and friendship. Its communication turns a coffee purchase into an experience of belonging.
Surf Coffee’s positioning is built around three ideas: coffee expertise, freedom and community. Coffee gives the product base; surfing creates the image of movement and escape; community turns the customer from a buyer into a participant.
The target audience is young urban consumers who value informal spaces, coffee culture, music, mobility, visual identity and street culture.
Mapping the spots
The key word in Surf Coffee’s communication is spot. A spot is not just a coffee shop: it suggests a local, informal and social place where people can stay, work, meet friends and feel the brand atmosphere.
Surf Coffee communicates through an ecosystem: official website, physical spots, social media, Propaganda Machine, merch, packaging, franchise communication and team communication. Its PR strategy is built through the whole system, not through one channel.
Physical spots are the strongest communication channel. Interior, music, lighting, furniture, posters, barista interaction and product placement transmit the brand’s values before the guest reads any text.
The official website works as a brand manifesto. Phrases such as “we are culture”, “we are community”, “we are team” and “we are your friends” construct a collective identity.
Merch and packaging make the brand mobile. Clothing allows customers to wear the Surf Coffee lifestyle, while cups, drip coffee and coffee bags carry the brand identity into streets, offices, homes and social media photos.
Propaganda Machine expands the brand beyond coffee. Podcasts, music releases and DJ-sets turn Surf Coffee into a cultural participant, while social media extends the spot atmosphere into everyday digital life.
