The making and drinking of coffee dates back 800 years. It’s a tradition that began in Ethiopia and spread to Yemen and Egypt before arriving in the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Long a part of civilized society’s social fabric, today coffee is everywhere: cafés, coffee shops, drive-through kiosks. It’s ubiquitous.

It’s also a metaphor. There’s an espresso machine in the kitchen at DISTINC, and clients who stop by usually get offered a coffee. It’s not a big deal — it’s just coffee — but the act of sitting and talking with them over an espresso or cappuccino is emblematic of how we work.

See, to us it’s more than just coffee. It’s connection. We savor the interaction it creates, finding ourselves nourished by the understanding that comes from the casual, relaxed conversation it engenders. We find it builds intimacy and creates a protected space: an environment in which genuine connection can occur. More than just a roasted bean, coffee symbolizes our desire to connect fully with our clients, to listen and learn from them how we might be of service.

In corporate culture, the coffee break is a workday breather; a departure from daily tasks. People hang around the coffee machine and talk about their kids, about what they did over the weekend or where they’re going on vacation. Real stuff. Human stuff. Coffee isn’t the point; communication is the point. Connection. Coffee is just the vehicle.

The same connective metaphor applies to branding. Those moments when all parties are relaxed and listening to each other, talking about things that are real and important to them — those moments work the same for your brand. Creating that protected space in which your constituents feel they’re met in an intimate setting where everyone’s just…talking, puts you miles ahead of the game.

Think about it. Would you rather be shouted at, begged, hammered on, made to feel guilty — or engaged in an empathetic, friendly conversation? Your brand has the potential to do it all.

We can help you make that happen. May we make you a coffee?