As Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii pushes deeper into national expansion mode, its leadership is carefully balancing brand storytelling with operational rigor. At the center of that effort are Chief Brand Officer Iain Douglas, and their partnership with marketing agency The BAM Connection, Brooklyn, NY. Douglas and agency co-founder/chief creative officer, Rob Baiocco have been working in together to ensure franchisees have both the strategic ‘air cover’ and local tools they need to compete in a crowded coffee landscape.
Iain and Rob discussed the brand’s marketing – what’s working, where the brand is headed, and how marketing and operations synergy is fueling growth.
Q: The coffee category is highly competitive. What differentiates Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, and how are you communicating that?
Rob Baiocco: One of the biggest advantages we have is that there’s so much to work with – Hawaii, the attitude, the product innovation, even the mascot. The challenge is focus. We’ve evolved to prioritize the biggest, most ownable ideas, like Coffee Cubes, leaning into the Hawaii story, and bringing ‘badassness’ to life in everything we do. Take our ‘Rescubes’ work. It landed because it checks three boxes: it’s a true point of difference, it taps into a universal insight, everyone’s experienced watered-down iced coffee, and it was executed in a smart, engaging way. That combination cuts through.
Iain Douglas: And that differentiation goes well beyond a single campaign. We’re delivering a premium Hawaiian coffee experience with authentic sourcing, but also a broader retail-plus-café model that gives customers more ways to engage with the brand. More importantly, we’re creating an emotional connection. We’re not just serving coffee, we’re fueling people to show up stronger in their day. That purpose, combined with innovation like Coffee Cubes and a strong community focus, is what sets us apart.
Q: How important is it to balance national brand-building with localized marketing?
ID: It’s essential. Our model is built on strong national storytelling paired with empowered local execution. The brand sets the tone, but franchisees bring it to life in their communities.
RB: Exactly. I always say the brand provides the air cover, the messaging that builds differentiation and emotional connection. Local marketing is what rings the cash register. If you only do one or the other, you’re missing half the equation. That’s why we’ve invested in tools like local social, so each store can build its own presence while still benefiting from the national brand.
Q: What have been the biggest drivers behind your recent growth?
ID: It really comes down to disciplined brand building and consistent execution. We’ve strengthened our Brand DNA and activated it across every touchpoint, from in-store experience to record-setting LTOs to a fully connected customer journey powered by our loyalty and local marketing systems. We opened 18 new stores last year with experienced franchisees, and we’re seeing same-store sales growth ahead of the category. That validates both the strength of the brand and the operating model. At the core, it’s about delivering on a clear promise: we empower and energize people to crush their day.
RB: From the marketing side, that shows up in how we structure our efforts. We think in terms of ‘Brand Builders’ and ‘Brand Bangers.’ Brand Builders are the always-on storytelling, mainly through social, that reinforce ‘Make it a Bad Ass Day.’ In contrast, Brand Bangers are more campaign-driven, designed to create spikes in attention and traffic. When you layer those together with strong LTOs, you get both awareness and real business results.
Q: As you scale nationally, how do you maintain the authenticity of the Hawaii-inspired brand?
RB: Authenticity is one of the richest parts of the brand. There’s so much there creatively, it’s really about choosing the right moments to highlight it and making sure it shows up consistently.
ID: It starts with our origin. The ‘Bad Ass Ones’ were the donkeys carrying coffee down the Kona mountains, that spirit of grit and adventure defines who we are today. As we grow, we don’t dilute that, we translate it. Our franchisees bring local relevance, but the Hawaiian spirit remains constant. That’s what allows us to resonate across different markets without losing our identity.
Q: What does your growth roadmap look like over the next 12–24 months?
ID: We see a long runway ahead, but we’re scaling with discipline. The addition of our COO, Tom Wylie, reinforces our focus on operational excellence and building strong, profitable stores. We’re not chasing unit count, we’re proving the model, partnering with the right franchisees, and growing market by market. That’s how you build something sustainable.
Q: What marketing tools and support are you providing franchisees?
RB: From our side, it’s about giving franchisees both structure and flexibility. The national brand builds awareness, but locally, operators need to connect with their specific audience.That’s why local social has been such an important addition, it gives each store a voice in its own market.
ID: And we’ve built a broader system around that. Franchisees have access to performance dashboards, hands-on training, and Aloha U, our platform for onboarding and marketing activation. What makes it powerful is that it’s collaborative. We’re constantly incorporating feedback from operators and feeding those learnings back into the system.
Q: From an agency perspective, what opportunities did you see early on, and how has the strategy evolved?
RB: When we first came in, the opportunity set was enormous. I’ve worked on a lot of brands, and this is one of the most robust I’ve seen. That’s both exciting and challenging. We can’t do everything at once, so we’ve evolved toward greater focus, prioritizing the biggest ideas and executing them really well. That’s how you build momentum.
Q: For franchisees, what are the most important marketing principles to focus on locally?
ID: It starts with consistency, fully embracing the brand and delivering it in a way that feels authentic in your market. When that happens, you build both traffic and loyalty.
RB: And I’d add: know your customers, create a strong in-store experience, and make it fun. This brand is built on energy and positivity. Marketing might get someone in the door, but the experience is what brings them back. If you can deliver both, and make it feel a little ‘badass.’ That’s when you really start to win.
For more information, please visit BadAssCoffee.com and TheBAM.com.