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Each week I will point out some real marketers of genius. Through this series, I hope to show some ways not to market yourself or your brand.

This week we salute you, Ristreto Coffee of Fargo, ND. Only you would decide to put yourself in between a Starbucks and a Caribou Coffee. In a town with an average temperature of -8, you said to hell with it and opted out of the drive-thru. Your coffee might be worth getting out of my car for. Unfortunately for you, they both have a drive-thru.

Upon closer inspection, we can see that Ristreto Coffee is closed while they move to a different location. The reason for the move, I am assuming, is due to the extremely poor location they are currently in. No further than 200 yards to the east of Ristreto Coffee is a well-established Starbucks Coffee with a nice, covered drive-thru. With North Dakota winters pushing the envelope of -20, a covered drive-thru goes a long way.

About 200 yards to the west of Ristreto Coffee is a Caribou Coffee. For those of you unfamiliar with Caribou Coffee, it is the upper Midwest’s competition to Starbucks Coffee. This Caribou Coffee also has a drive-thru and has been serving in the same location for a couple of years.

Why on earth would someone pick a spot in the middle of these two? More importantly, their business is located in a strip mall with no street access. Considering the street in front of their business in one of the busiest in town, this is a problem. Not to mention it has no drive-thru option for the people traveling on the busiest street in town. Further more, Ristreto Coffee sits right in the middle of two brewing giants. Unless the baristas are serving your coffee topless, I see no reason for people to walk through the door. I hope the second location goes much better for the people over at Ristreto Coffee.

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