Krispy Kreme . . . You know it . . . I bet you love it too.

I am a huge fan of the product. The only thing . . . we don’t have any stores here in Alaska. I have to get my sugar fix of Krispy Kreme doughnuts every time I go “outside” to the ‘lower 48’ as we say here in the far north.

KK does an excellent job of building ‘Buzz’ (publicizing new store openings etc.) and Napsterizing their product (giving people samples as the walk in), and building Community interest. But I think there is a huge vulnerability to the company. They have, for the time being, a product that can compete favorably on taste and the melt in your mouth texture of a ‘hot doughnut’ is something to always look forward too.

The problem that I see coming with the ‘health craze’ in America is that the product is not a healthy food. As the circumference of more and more people increase the obsession with "healthy" food choices builds remarkably. Will the tide of public opinion turn negative towards Krispy Kreme and if so how can they continue to compete?

I think it's all about the experience.

What experience you ask about eating a doughnut?

“Doughnut Theater”

What I mean by this is that as you drive by the stores there is the red “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign in the front window. It’s almost like a bug being drawn to the light on a dark night as you find yourself turning in to either hit the drive up window or going inside for the full experience of seeing the doughnuts on the line being made.

Hot

Doughnuts Now

The store is a good example of the ‘theater experience’ since you see the inner workings of how your doughnut comes into being, that flavorful bite that warmly melts in your mouth. What sometimes gets lost is everything else that makes up the experience of visiting a store and purchasing Krispy Kreme doughnuts. That 50’s feel to the place and the opportunity for a ‘bite’ to decide which one you really want.

The retro design of their buildings & graphics adds authenticity, richness to their brand if you will. This works because the history of the product extends back to the age of the graphics they are referencing. They may need to push the envelope here to keep the graphic identity unique, fresh and an integral part of the experience but everyone knows those colors and boxes before them.

Krispy Kreme has done a good job limiting the number of locations that they open. It’s not ‘McD’s every 10 blocks or that other one with the funny looking ‘king’ caricature in the commercials. If they want to maintain the mystique of the product a certain degree of scarcity is a good thing. If they are on every fifth corner like their competitors they will become a commodity easily unseated by a competitors new taste driven product. Build only a few outlets but make them really spectacular experiences.

It has been awhile since my last Krispy Kreme but I can smell them just by thinking about my last one. Gone from my memory are the last passing thoughts of a Dunkin Doughnut. Maybe someone will open a store here once again. There have been rumors but no progress in making it easier to indulge yourself.

School fund raisers will fly up a couple hundred boxes to help out different programs but those do not help those of us who long for a good doughnut. There are several shops around town but only one that seems to care about a great quality product.

Let’s hear it Anchorage . . . start writing letters and emails to Krispy Kreme for a new store here. I can’t wait to see a “Hot Doughnuts Now” sign in a window near here soon.

Ice