Client
Bombay Island Coffee Co.
Services
Product Strategy, Social Media, Meta Ads, and Ecomm Marketing
Year
2021
Bombay Island is a proudly bootstrapped coffee brand – profitable, independent, and built one small win at a time.
But the battlefield wasn’t simple. They were up against giants like Blue Tokai, Third Wave, KC Roasters, Araku, and other deep-pocketed brands that dominate attention, reviews, and distribution.
For a brand with zero funding and two cafés (Vikhroli & Jio World Drive), the challenge wasn’t quality. It was helping new customers confidently choose the right coffee – especially on the website.
The Challenges
- First-time coffee buyers were overwhelmed: People switching from instant coffee to artisanal coffee found the variety confusing. They didn’t know which roast would suit them, and without enough reviews or guidance on the website, they hesitated.
- Artisanal consumers weren’t fully confident either: Even regular specialty-coffee drinkers compared options, checked reviews elsewhere (reviews didn’t exist on the website – here’s how we solved that), or just ordered from Amazon – causing Bombay Island to lose margin.
- High risk = low conversions: A 250-gm bag is a commitment. Customers are always afraid of ordering something that doesn’t match their taste profile. This led to abandoned carts, website exits, and reduced first-purchase conversions.
Our Solution: Taster Packs – A Low-Risk, High-Value Entry Product
Instead of joining the price wars or shouting louder than the competition, we built a smarter entry point – Introducing the Taster Packs. A simple, low-stake product that removes decision fatigue and builds trust instantly.
Each Taster Pack includes:
- 3×75 gm packs of different coffees – variety without pressure.
- Smaller packs = lower risk – customers avoid being stuck with a coffee they don’t love.
- Flat 20% Off – a gentle nudge to try and explore.
How We Rolled It Out
We made the Taster Pack the default first-purchase recommendation by integrating it across the customer journey:
- Website banners, prompts & pop-ups
- Meta Ads & targeted social media creatives
- Café-level promotions
- Chat scripts for DMs & website queries
- Even during support calls, we intentionally downsold (seriously, we did that!) from 250 gm to Tasters – prioritising long-term trust over short-term revenue
The message was simple:
“Try three coffees, risk-free – decide what you love. Then, you can always come back and order more.”
This small product shift changed everything. Here’s how –
The Impact In Numbers
~527
New leads so far, comprising of both home-bakers & B2B consumers
12.43%*
Converted into paying customers
Why This Matters
For a bootstrapped brand competing with giants, the Taster Pack became the conversion unlock – a smart, low-cost lever that didn’t rely on discounts, funding, or aggressive paid advertising.
It simply reduced risk, built confidence, and delivered a superior customer onboarding experience.
When you can’t outspend the competition, you out-strategise them.
For Bombay Island, the win came from understanding the real customer problem – choice paralysis – and solving it with a product innovation that made trying the brand effortless.
A classic David-vs-Goliath win.
At Greek Alphabet Media, we’re backed by 5+ years of experience in branding & marketing for FMCG & D2C brands, with specialisation in coffee & beverages. If you’re looking to launch a new brand or take your existing brand to the next level, get in touch.
