Krispy Kreme in Hong Kong and its marketing act

While walking on the street in Causeway Bay last Saturday, we saw people holding boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts. I was very excited because I have a lot of great memorize with Krispy Kreme in the US.

So we actually looked for the store and prepare to buy a box of original taste. We found out that there was a very long line standing in front of it. The reason? Krispy Kreme was giving out FREE boxes of donuts. So we stand in line too because I was very hungry. We didn't get a whole box eventually, but I was happy with three free donuts.

It certainly generated a lot of attention on that day. However, from a marketing point of view, it is hard to know whether this is really successfully. We actually think that the act will generate bad publicity instead, mostly based on the following two points:


1) The FREE donuts that was given out was COLD. So people in the line does not experience the taste of a fresh and hot Krispy Kreme dount that it is famous of.
2 ) The coldness of the donuts makes it sweeter. Chinese doesn't like food that is too sweet.

So the donuts were too sweet and cold. If this is my first KK experience, I will not tell other to buy it.

Having said that, maybe it is not a fully planned marketing event after all. As they were having a private party on that day. The donuts that were given out were probably leave-overs.

Anyway, I will still go to KK for its Hot and Fresh original donuts. But I highly doubt I will buy a whole box again like I was in US.

I do hope it is successfully in HK. Maybe Wan Chi or Central is a better place for the store? There are probably more foreign worker wanting donut as breakfast.