Kesenjangan Brand Awareness dan Brand Loyalty pada Kafe Inklusif Disabilitas (Studi Kasus Komunikasi Inklusif Sunyi Coffee melalui Pendekatan Customer-Based Brand Equity)

The Gap Between Brand Awareness and Brand Loyalty in Disability-Inclusive Cafes (A Case Study of Sunyi Coffee's Inclusive Communication Using a Customer-Based Brand Equity Approach)

Abstract

Sunyi Coffee merupakan kafe inklusif di Jakarta yang mengusung model kewirausahaan sosial dengan mempekerjakan penyandang disabilitas Tuli sebagai barista. Meskipun dikenal luas sebagai kafe inklusif, Sunyi Coffee menghadapi kesenjangan antara tingginya brand awareness dengan rendahnya brand loyalty. Penelitian ini bertujuan mendeskripsikan aktivitas Public Relations Sunyi Coffee dalam mengomunikasikan nilai inklusivitas, menganalisis respons konsumen berdasarkan Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Model Keller, serta menganalisis penyebab kesenjangan tersebut. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan metode studi kasus melalui wawancara mendalam terhadap pihak internal Sunyi Coffee, enam narasumber pelanggan non-disabilitas dan disabilitas, serta seorang triangulator ahli. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Sunyi Coffee memiliki visi komunikasi edukatif yang selaras dengan prinsip kewirausahaan sosial, namun eksekusinya menghadapi kelemahan struktural pada kanal komunikasi, penetapan target audiens, konsistensi strategi, dan sistem keanggotaan. Kelemahan ini berkorelasi langsung dengan hambatan pada setiap lapisan piramida CBBE, mulai dari brand salience yang rapuh hingga brand resonance yang hanya “ditemukan” secara kebetulan, bukan “dibangun” melalui mekanisme sistematis. Penelitian menyimpulkan bahwa akar kesenjangan bukan pada kelemahan visi, melainkan pada belum matangnya fondasi bisnis model. Penelitian merekomendasikan empat pendekatan Public Relations sebagai satu ekosistem komunikasi, yaitu merancang pengalaman edukatif yang terstruktur, membangun komunikasi pasca kunjungan yang menumbuhkan sense of belonging, mendokumentasikan dampak sebagai narasi merek yang kohesif, dan mempertajam positioning sebagai fondasi bagi ketiga pendekatan lainnya.

ABSTRACT

Sunyi Coffee is an inclusive cafe in Jakarta that adopts a social entrepreneurship model by employing Deaf individuals as baristas. Despite being widely recognized as an inclusive cafe, Sunyi Coffee faces a gap between its high brand awareness and low brand loyalty. This research aims to describe the Public Relations activities carried out by Sunyi Coffee in communicating inclusivity values, to analyze consumer responses based on Keller’s Customer-Based Brand Equity (CBBE) Model, and to analyze the causes of the gap. This research employs a qualitative approach using a case study method through in-depth interviews with Sunyi Coffee’s internal stakeholders, six non-disabled and Deaf customer informants, and an expert triangulator. The findings reveal that Sunyi Coffee possesses an educational communication vision aligned with social entrepreneurship principles; however, its execution faces structural weaknesses in communication channels, target audience determination, strategic consistency, and its membership system. These weaknesses correlate directly with obstacles at every layer of the CBBE pyramid, ranging from fragile brand salience to brand resonance that is merely “discovered” by chance rather than “built” through a systematic mechanism. This research concludes that the root cause of the gap lies not in a weak vision, but in the immaturity of the business model foundation. It recommends four mutually reinforcing Public Relations approaches as a single communication ecosystem: designing structured educational experiences, building post-visit communication that fosters a sense of belonging, documenting impact as a cohesive brand narrative, and sharpening brand positioning as the foundation for the other three approaches.