Spec Project · Independent Strategic Concept

Third Wave Coffee — third culture, not third wave.

A content & performance strategy bridging imported specialty coffee culture with India's own — for a fast-scaling cafe chain.

Content Strategy · Social Media · Brand · Performance
Brand Overview

Scaling fast, in a crowded aesthetic.

India's fastest-scaling specialty coffee chain — 200+ cafes across 12+ cities, $69.9M raised, rapidly expanding under a new profitability-focused CEO. High output, but a content aesthetic that looks like everyone else's.

Positioning: India's specialty coffee leader Audience: Urban 18–35, cafe culture Scale: 200+ cafes, 12+ cities

What's already working

  • Instagram-friendly cafe design drives organic UGC — mural art, latte art
  • Smart category expansion — Third Rush (desserts), "Slice of Joy" pizza range
  • Creator-led anniversary campaigns like "Inspiring Indian Crea8ors"
  • 1,300+ posts, 135K+ followers — high content output and consistency
The Opportunity

"Third wave" is a Western import framing.

South Indian filter coffee holds roughly half of India's coffee consumption. That tension is untouched territory.

01

High output, low POV

1,300+ posts but repeatable formats — cafe aesthetics, product launches — with no unifying cultural narrative.

02

Imported vocabulary

"Third wave" language never engages India's own deep, majority coffee culture.

03

Scaling fast, generic tone

Rapid expansion + new profitability-focused CEO risks a more generic national brand voice.

Strategy

"Third Culture, Not Third Wave"

Own the space between imported specialty coffee and Indian filter kaapi heritage.

Pillar 01

Filter Meets Third Wave

Direct play on the tension — pour-over vs. filter kaapi, both treated as legitimate craft.

Pillar 02

Third Rush Culture

Fast, Gen-Z-native content for the dessert sub-brand — trend-responsive, meme-adjacent.

Pillar 03

The Neighborhood Third Place

Hyperlocal, per-cafe community content — not one generic national voice.

Content Showcase

Sample posts, mapped to pillars.

Filter Meets Third Wave
Two brews. Same obsession.
One's been perfected in Indian kitchens for generations, the other's newer to the neighborhood. We're not choosing sides.
Third Rush Culture
POV: it's 4pm and the meeting could've been an email.
You deserve a brownie. Third Rush gets it.
Neighborhood Third Place
Every regular has a "usual."
Meet a few of them and their orders — a third place only works if it remembers you.
Hero Campaign

"Kaapi to Cortado"

A 4-post series reframing Indian coffee heritage as equally craft-worthy as specialty coffee.

01
The Pour (Reel)

Slow-motion filter kaapi tumbler pour, shot with pour-over reverence. "This is a pour-over too."

02
Side by Side (Carousel)

Brewing ritual, flavor notes, cultural context — no hierarchy between traditions.

03
First Memory (Reel)

Real customers on their first coffee memory — home filter kaapi or first specialty order.

04
The Payoff (Static)

"Every coffee culture is someone's third wave." Campaign close, ties to brand name.

Performance Marketing Layer
Funnel StagePillarObjectiveFormat
Top (Awareness)Filter Meets Third WaveReach, cultural buzzBoosted reels, broad geo targeting
Middle (Consideration)Third Rush CultureEngagement, app installsMeme-style ads, retargeting
Bottom (Conversion)Neighborhood Third PlaceFootfall, repeat visitsGeo-fenced offers, loyalty push

BUDGET ALLOCATION (₹10L/MO)

  • 45% — Bottom funnel (geo-fenced conversion)
  • 35% — Middle funnel (Third Rush engagement)
  • 20% — Top funnel (cultural/brand reach)

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

  • Top: Reach, video completion, share rate
  • Middle: CTR, app install rate, cost-per-install
  • Bottom: Footfall conversion, repeat visits, AOV, ROAS
Hypothetical Results

Illustrative targets, not actual campaign data — modeled on F&B/QSR benchmarks.

2.9xTARGET ROAS
18%FOOTFALL CONVERSION
₹410AVG. ORDER VALUE
34%REPEAT VISIT RATE
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