The Ripple Maker is a drinks printer that can print any image in real-time on top of foam-topped drinks and individually-portioned desserts. Major multinational brands and tiny local shops alike use use Ripples to create memorable experiences for their customers, in person and on social media, boosting impact and their bottom line.
Here are winning strategies, and five examples from just this past month, showcasing how brands and businesses use the Ripple Maker drink printer to get new people through the door, boost share of wallet, and promote local happenings.
Ripples Strategy #1: Surprise Guests with Real-Time Celebratory Content (in Seconds!)
One of our favorite ways to use the Ripple Maker is creating special moments in real-time.
Sometimes that means overhearing someone talking to their dog and surprising them with a puppuccino. Sometimes that means overhearing a ‘Happy Birthday’ or recognizing a famous face and whipping up a fabulous cocktail.
Ripples Best Practice Example: Lavazza USA Serves up the Perfect Cup of Coffee at the US Open
Lavazza says that the combination of tennis and coffee is the perfect blend, allowing them to spread a culture including sociability and impeccable quality at matches around the world. Sponsoring the US Open and other tennis events around the world gives the Lavazza team an opportunity to connect courtside with fans new and old, and they use the Ripple Maker to help make their mark.
One of our favorite ways to use the Ripple Maker drink printer is creating special moments in real-time. At the US Open in NYC the Lavazza team created a special “in the moment” latte for the 2024 US Open Men’s Singles Champion Jannik Sinner Merch to commemorate his tennis win!
Pro tip: Once you’ve introduced your customers to Ripples, invite them to get in on the fun! With the Ripples WebApp they can send any picture from their phone to be printed on their next drink. Customize your WebApp with your own branding (no coding required) for a cohesive experience right down to the very last sip.
Ripples Strategy #2: Offer Up Localized Content for the Hometown Crowd
Whether you’re a donut shop getting in on the fun of a local festival or a cocktail bar honoring a celebrated and iconic local landmark Ripples content is a beautiful way to celebrate your culture and community.
Ripples Best Practice Example: Use the Guinness Beer Printer to Celebrate a Local Holiday
Guinness Korea celebrates the South Korean autumn harvest festival, Chuseok, by topping their iconic brew with rabbits making rice cakes in the full moon. This gorgeous, Ripples-enabled interpretation of a traditional Korean folktale symbolizes a bountiful harvest, good wishes, and dreams. The beautiful imagery starts on the moon and then gets translated onto the iconic foam head of a pint of Guinness, resonating with drinkers around the world, but especially those celebrating Chuseok in South Korea.
Ripples Strategy #3: Make your Mark with Trending Content
Sometimes you can use a Ripples-topped drink to go viral online when you’re promoting your new movie, or with athlete posts (and 1 million plus views) at a huge quadrennial sporting event that you’re sponsoring, but single coffee shops who know their customers can get attention AND sell out their entire inventory by serving up trendy, TikTok-inspired beverages topped with Ripples prints.
Ripples Best Practice Example: Honey Greens Cafe Went Viral, Sold Out, and Closed Early Thanks to Sonny Angel Latte Success
Over the past year, Sonny Angel has taken over hearts, nightstands, and TikTok For You Pages of fans around the globe. Unboxing videos of these 3” tall plastic dolls (which one of the 650 designs will you get?) garner millions of views on TikTok and Instagram. They’ve even inspired a Saturday Night Life sketch.
Over Labor Day weekend, Honey Green Cafe served up six iconic Sonny Angels designs on top of “Cloud Foam” topped iced drinks, charging an extra $2 apiece to get the drink prints featuring these adorable little boys. The impact was tremendous. 100s of thousands of views on social media, and most notably, their entire cafe got cleaned out and they had to close early to restock. We love double-taps, and we love hearing that cash register ‘cha-ching’ sound even more.
Ripples Strategy #4: Use Ripples to Promote your Upcoming Event
Eye-catching. Vibrant (choose from a wide array of plant-based extracts, or stick to the classics with coffee on coffee). Creating a social media post of a menu item topped with a Ripples print lets you promote your event and your drinks menu all at once.
Ripples Best Practice Example: The Birdhouse Wingerie & Bar says “You’re the One That I Want”
The Birdhouse Wingerie owner says that Ripples “is my marketing” and this simple and thirst-inducing Instagram reel promoting an upcoming move night is an easy example. Iconic lyrics and pictures from Grease are printed right on top of the beer, so that their followers can’t miss that something’s coming up on the calendar.
Conclusion
As these strategies illustrate, Ripples isn’t just about printing beautiful designs on beverages; it’s about creating engaging, memorable experiences that resonate with your audience. Whether it’s through custom drink prints or seasonal promotions, Ripples helps you add that personal touch that customers love, making your brand unforgettable. Explore the potential of Ripples and watch your engagement—and your sales—flourish.
