Elan Café - Selfridges

As you know, we are truly living in the millennial ages where Instagram is THE social media app of the moment. Instagram was an app simply used as an online photo album or journal but nowadays, it’s one of the most powerful marketing tools for businesses. Businesses are now coming up with different ways in which they can ‘connect’ and interact with their clients. Some use the much loved (or dreaded) hashtags, others give followers incentives to boost their clientele base and some design their businesses as photogenically as possible, using their clients as indirect tools to market on their behalf. One of these businesses is the Elan Café.

Having found success with two beautiful standalone Cafés in Park Lane and Knightsbridge, they opened a further two in Oxford Circus and within Selfridges, London. On Instagram, they have amassed a total of 240K followers, with their profile featuring various pink and floral themed pictures, and ‘re-posts’ of well-known bloggers enjoying a cup of coffee, amongst other pastry delights.

Customers flock to their Cafés for the opportunity to take pictures against beautiful floral backdrops and let’s admit, it is very appealing to the female consumer in particular. Very few would go to the Café just to take a picture and leave. It is now almost a ‘holy grail’ to take a picture of the coffee and desserts, whilst posing against the backdrop. This is a win-win for the business, not only are customers paying to essentially take photos, they then post the pictures on Instagram providing free marketing for the Café, which in turn encourages their followers to visit (if they haven't already!) - meaning new customers for the business. It’s just one happy money-making, extremely-clever-marketing-ploy circle for the Elan Café.

I myself had seen many posts of the Café and it was always on my list of places to visit. Since I now have plenty of free time on my hands, I decided to visit the Elan Café in Selfridges. Based on first impressions, as pretty as it looked, it didn’t WOW me as much as I expected it to. I had visions of flowers everywhere, a floral carpet and throne (okay, exaggerated I know), but I think that would be the difference between this concession and an actual standalone Elan Café. Overall impressions: the service was great, coffee was nice and the cake (pistachio financier) was delicious. Rather than being impressed by the decor, I am rather in admiration for the person behind the idea of this genuinely clever business model - Alexandra Miller I salute you. Xo

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All pictures on this post are my own