Cat cafes have taken America by storm but South Korea is over that already, as indicated by the Thanks Nature sheep cafe. Thanks Nature Cafe is located in Seoul and is filled with live sheep that roam freely. Sheep are cuddly and cute, but the cafe's owners have another reason for bringing them into their business.
2015 is The Year of the Sheep in the Chinese Zodiac. Yes, it's a marketing ploy but a clever and fun one! The sheep have brought in more customers and have even spun off their own line of trinkets that the cafe sells to customers who just can't get enough. There's no word on whether the Thanks Nature sheep cafe intends to remove the sheep once the calendar changes to 2016, the year of the monkey.
What's Driving This Trend
- Animal Cafes
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring new ways to incorporate different types of animals into cafe experiences.
- Zodiac Marketing
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Leveraging the Chinese Zodiac or other cultural celebrations to create unique marketing campaigns.
- Merchandising Spin-offs
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Capitalizing on the popularity of a specific attraction to create and sell related merchandise.
Who This Affects Most
- Hospitality
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrating interactive animal experiences into the hospitality industry, such as hotels or resorts.
- Retail
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Collaborating with animal cafes to create and sell exclusive merchandise in retail stores.
- Event Planning
- Disruptive innovation opportunity: Organizing themed events centered around the Chinese Zodiac or other cultural celebrations, incorporating relevant animal attractions.
