The client
A family-owned coffee shop two blocks from campus, open since 2019 and known among students for its cortado — but running on a logo the owner had made herself in PowerPoint and an Instagram account she updated maybe once a month. She came to ELEVATE through a member who was a regular, looking for a brand that matched how good the coffee actually was.
The challenge
In discovery interviews, the owner put it simply: “People try it once and become regulars, but they walk past it first.” The team's audit found an inconsistent logo across the storefront, menu and social media, no defined color palette, and an Instagram account with no content calendar competing against three chains with full-time marketing staff within a five-minute walk.
What we did
Identity
Logo, palette, typography, brand guide.
Menu & signage
Printed menu, chalkboard system, storefront.
Launch plan
Six-week Instagram calendar and two paid campaigns.
Results
Instagram followers grew 48% over the six-week launch window, measured against the pre-project baseline. The new menu and chalkboard system shipped in week 7, and the owner reported the storefront sign as the single most-commented-on change by regular customers. All three deliverables — identity, menu/signage and the launch calendar — were handed off with source files at the week-10 presentation.
“I finally have a logo I'm not embarrassed to put on a cup. The students gave me a whole calendar of what to post and when — I just had to show up and take the photos.” — Owner, ELEVATE coffee shop client
Example team roles: account lead, brand designer, content strategist and analyst.