RAMP it up!
Marketing Mix - 4P's
All ice cream orders are called “creations,” because the customer can combine any ice cream flavour with endless combination and topping such as fruits, nuts, candy, cookies, and brownies. Some of the favourites have been named “Cold Stone Signature Creations”.
The signature flavours are: Cake Batter, Chocolate, Coffee, Mint, Strawberry, Cheese Cake, French Vanilla, Sweet Cream, and Sinless Sans Fat. In addition to the signature flavours, stores offer local and season flavours such as Cinnamon Bun, Pumpkin, Amaretto and Candy Cane.
Cold Stone also offers ice cream cakes on order for any occasion i.e birthday party.
Their cake is thick, moist cake, layered with some of the richest and creamiest ice cream in the world. Customers who are allergic to say egg or want law fat, gluten-free products and lactose-free products can also order with special customization request before indulging,
Cold Stone is an ice cream innovator. Their ice cream is based on a tradition of continuously redefining plain old regular ice cream into something truly extraordinary. Cold Stone ice cream is known as “super premium” because of its freshest and finest ingredients, and smooth, creamy ice cream that is blended on a frozen granite stone.
Their product offering could broadly be classified into the following four categories -
Cold Stone Creamery also offers a variety of indulgent drinks such as:
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Signature Ice Cream Shakes - Customers can create their own shake, with their choice of over 30 mix-ins and a variety of ice cream flavors.
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Lifestyle Smoothies for active lifestlye
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Sinless Smoothies for health-minded people starting at only 110 calories.
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Iced or blended coffee drinks
For health conscious people, Cold Stone Creamery also offers ice cream lovers who want to indulge in flavours but not the calories with “Healthy Indulgences”. The health conscious customers can choose from non-fat no sugar added ice cream, Sorbet flavours and non-dairy smoothies. They can thereafter combine them with their choice of healthful mix-ins, like fresh fruits or crunchy nuts.
Cold Stone provides each customer with a unique experience and each creation is hand made in front of the customer’s eyes.
Cold Stone customers do not expect quick service and visit the store to have an experience and indulge in their favourite ice cream creation. Cold Stone does have options for those with busy schedules such as pre-made creations, cakes and pies.
Size of ice cream creation:
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5 oz, is name “Like It”
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8 oz, is named “Love It”
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12 oz, is named “Gotta Have It”
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3 oz kids’, which is available for kids
Cold Stone Creamery are only sold at their franchisee stores. With their Mission Statement being “We will make people happy”. Currently, there are more than 1,450 Cold Stone Creamery franchises located throughout the United States and in countries all over the world. Their stores are present in -
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Bahrain
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Brazil
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Canada
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China
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Cyprus
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Egypt
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El Salvador
Their store environment makes people come to smell, see and taste of the ice cream shown in the glass shelf.
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Guam
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Indonesia
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Japan
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Kenya
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Korea (South)
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Kuwait
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Nigeria
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Oman
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Pakistan
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Philippines
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Qatar
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Saudi Arabia
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Singapore
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Taiwan
Cold Stone Creamery stores are located in malls, near movie theaters, or near other restaurants. Most ice creams are bought on impulse, which is why these heavily trafficked areas work best for ice cream retailers.
The Cold Stone Creamery store image is much bigger than just a regular ice cream store; it is a place that leaves people happy thus making them to want coming back for more.
Prices at Cold Stone vary by size, item and by store. Cold Stone sells its ice creams in 3 different sizes: Like it (5 oz), Love it (8 oz), and Gotta have it (12 oz). There is no set price per size because it depends on the ice cream and mix-ins. The average price range for the three sizes is: “Like it,” $5.55; “Love it,” $5.83; and “Gotta have it,” $6.38. Each ice cream order includes one topping, such as fruit or candy, and then each additional topping or cone is 83 cents.
Prices for smoothies and shakes vary by size, and are respectively $5 to $5.75. Cold Stone serves coffee either iced or blended in small, medium and large and are priced $2.69, $3.69, and $4.09 respectively.
Cakes can be made in small, medium and large and are generally priced between $11.10 and $68.82 respectively. Cold Stone provides premade pints to go for $8.88.
Cold Stone Creamery uses different promotion programs to increase consumer awareness and build relationships with ice cream lovers worldwide.
Over the holidays in 2009, Cold Stone launched a mobile coupon program where cable networks ran commercials asking viewers to text “CREAM” to the number provided. Viewers that sent the text message received a mobile coupon good for one free “love-it” size creation, when an additional treat is purchased.
Cold Stone Creamery also uses social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to promote its product and brand.
In 2010, Cold Stone offer a new gift application through Facebook. Cold Stone customer can now quickly and easily send a tangible gift (ice cream Creations, shakes) to a friend or loved one's Facebook account or e-mail address. Consumers can access the eGift social application through Cold Stone's Facebook page or website and select one or multiple friends to send gifts to, by either by adding them from Facebook or entering their e-mail address. The recipient can redeem the eGift item at any participating Cold Stone location. Cold Stone loves to “make people happy” and this gives people an opportunity to share a Cold Stone moment even if they cannot be together.
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Thailand
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Trinidad & Tobago
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Turkey
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UAE