I witnessed a couple of eye-opening interactions at a local coffee shop this morning. I've been here hundreds of times, but maybe I've never been quite so observant... anyways, here's how it went:

...actually, before I start the story, I have to give a little background. I know, I'm that storytelling guy. Sorry. Bear with me.

Soul Full Cup is the place in Corning where everyone stops for coffee. They have a neat atmosphere, perfect location, and awesome staff - and you're bound to run into someone you know if you've lived here long enough. Their coffee is good enough, but ironically, I wouldn't say that's the reason I come here. It's the other things listed above that I love about Soul Full.

With that said, I came in for a caramel americano today - it was way too sweet but it did the job. After getting a little work done, I overheard a woman talking about her recent move to Corning. She apparently asked some friends or coworkers where the best place was to get a cup of coffee. They told her that Soul Full Cup had the best coffee, hands down, and that's where she needed to go.

Minutes later, a tourist walked in (Corning is the third most popular tourist city in New York State). She sat outside with her coffee for a bit before walking back in to take several pictures of the inside of Soul Full Cup. I don't want to assume, but I'd be surprised if she didn't run home telling her friends about how amazing this place was.

And she'd be right - except that it's not because of the coffee. The newcomer's advice was also correct - that she needed to go to Soul Full Cup - although not because of the coffee.

So I learned a good marketing lesson today as I sipped my too-sweet americano: people are influenced more by atmosphere and experience than by the product. That's not always true, I know, but it usually is. And when a company can contrive a perfect atmosphere for its product, we can be brainwashed into thinking we need their product whenever we're in that atmosphere:

• If you're on the beach and you want a beer, drink Corona.
• If you're an intense athlete and you're thirsty in the middle of a game, drink Gatorade.
• If you're at a ball game and need some refreshment, drink Coke.
• If you're home and you only want water... at least run it through the Brita Filter first!

And of course, if you're in Corning and you need a cup of coffee, you better go to Soul Full Cup.

(Personal opinion disclaimer: If you're in Corning and you need a damn good cup of coffee, go to Heavenly Cup!)