Being Number 2

Dunkin Afterglow
Originally uploaded by ez2axs.

There's nothing wrong with second place. Rooting for the underdog is a tradition that us Americans love. In NYC, you gotta love the Mets, because a win for them is far more exciting than a Yankees (expected) win. You drink Pepsi because it's not Coke. You prefer Burger King becuase it's just better than McDonald's.

Being Number One is also part of the American dream - everyone strives to be number one, so being the best is always going to be a challenge. You will root for number two, because there's always the hope and excitement that they will pull in first place eventually.

So, it's no wonder that Dunkin Donuts is groomed for second place in the so-called "coffee wars" (the millennial version of the cola wars). An article in Ad Age was talking about the new owners of Dunkin and what their strategy should be, which is this: be the anti-Starbucks. Great number two brands are the antithesis of the leading brand. The overall consumer attitude toward Dunkin leaves a down-to-earth, friendly, just good coffee alternative. The attitude toward Starbucks is that it's expensive and snobby and has a white collar "yuppie" image portraying its consumer. Dunkin shouldn't focus on cost, but rather the hard-work ethic and the "just good coffee" people love about them. Oh, and that they don't take forever to brew your 15 syllable concoction.