Tim Hortons Marketing Strategy

Imagine it’s a cool Canadian morning, and you are holding a Tim Hortons coffee, the iconic red cup warming your hands. That warm snuggly feeling? This is not by accident. Tim Hortons – “Timmies,” as it is affectionately known, is a company that excels at making customers feel welcome while also making them dependent. This isn’t simply coffee and donuts, but rather a way of positioning and branding coffee that converts occasional sipers into loyal enthusiasts. Whether through playful advertisement or genuine community connection, Tim Hortons knows how to win hearts and wallets. So let’s get into the how and why of Tim Hortons’ marketing wizardry and how nostalgia, innovation and Canadian nationalism work together to keep Tim’s as Canadians’ top of mind coffee destination.

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About Tim Hortons

Picture the scenario in the 1960’s from Hamilton, Ont, where hockey superstar Tim Horton, for whom the restaurant chain is named, made fresh coffee and donuts, including the ever famous Apple Fritter. That is where Tim Hortons started. Fast forward to 202Anonymous. 2025 a giant with almost 5700 storesadic stores, across 14 countries, such as Canada, U.S, Middle- East and Asia. This is why Canadians refer to it as “Timmies”, because he’s that friend who’s consistently there with a hot drink and a smile. What’s on the menu? Coffee, Timbits, sandwiches, wraps, and breakfast items as well as salad for health-conscious consumers.

Though Tim Hortons merged with Burger King under Restaurant Brands International in 2014 and has since expanded internationally, it remains a Canadian institution at its core. It’s where workers go for a quick coffee, students do homework with Kernel Iced Capps, and families share Timbits after hockey practice. The low cost and chill environment certainly help but it’s no surprise that Tim Hortons is “like Canada’s pulse”.

The secret sauce of the brand? Food is not the only thing. That’s how Tim Hortons connects with the Canadian psyche: hockey, community and the successful nostalgia-inducing routine of stopping for coffee on the way to work. Whether it’s a small-town shop or a bustling city location, Tim Hortons knows its customers: everyday folks who want value, convenience, and a little comfort. That understanding shapes every marketing move they make, from quirky campaigns to local sponsorships. It’s why a simple coffee run feels like a tradition.

Major Marketing Strategies

Tim Hortons doesn’t just sell coffee, they sell an experience. Their marketing strategies are like a perfectly brewed double-double: simple, satisfying, and impossible to resist. They use clever campaigns, loyalty perks, digital smarts, and community love to keep customers coming back. Let’s break down how they do it.

Roll Up the Rim Campaign & Gamification

Ever rolled up the rim of a Tim Hortons cup, hoping for a free donut or maybe a car? That’s the Roll Up the Rim campaign, a stroke of genius since 1986. It’s simple: finish your coffee, roll the cup’s rim, and check for prizes, free drinks, snacks, gadgets, or even a shiny new vehicle. It’s like a mini lottery with every sip. In 2024, millions played, with one in five cups hiding a prize, boosting sales by 15% during the campaign. The excitement of maybe winning keeps people buying, turning a coffee run into a game. Picture a busy mom at the drive-thru, kids cheering as she rolls the rim, or a student grinning over a free Timbits win. That thrill keeps customers hooked.

Tim Hortons didn’t stop at paper cups. They brought Roll Up the Rim to their app, letting users “roll” digitally for extra chances. It’s a brilliant mix of old-school fun and new tech, making it easy for tech-savvy fans to join in. In 2024 alone, the digital version added 2 million app users. The campaign works because it taps into something universal: the joy of a small win. Whether it’s a free coffee or bragging rights, Roll Up the Rim makes every cup feel special. It’s no wonder lines get longer every February when the campaign kicks off.

Loyalty & Rewards Program

Tim Hortons knows a free coffee can turn a one-time buyer into a regular. Enter Tims Rewards, launched in 2019 and now boasting over 10 million users by 2025. Here’s how it works: buy something, earn points, redeem them for free coffee, donuts, or sandwiches. It’s dead simple, and that’s why it works. About 30% of all purchases now tie to rewards, showing how much customers love it. The app tracks points, sends tailored deals, and nudges users with push notifications like “Grab a latte, get double points today!” Those double-point days can spike store visits by 10%, as fans rush to rack up rewards.

Imagine a construction worker stopping by daily, knowing his tenth coffee is free. Or a student saving points for a study-session donut. The program feels personal, rewarding small habits with big payoffs. Higher-spending customers get extra perks, like exclusive offers, which make them feel like VIPs. With 3,800 Canadian stores, Tim Hortons uses this program to keep customers loyal, ensuring they pick Timmies over the coffee shop down the street. It’s a smart way to say, “We see you, and we appreciate you.”

Social Media & Digital Ads

Tim Hortons doesn’t just pour coffee, they pour energy into social media. With over 2 million Instagram followers and a big presence on Twitter and TikTok, they know how to grab attention. Their posts are a mix of new menu items, customer stories, and Canadian pride moments, like cheering for a hockey goal. They keep it real, sharing photos of snowy drive-thrus or kids munching Timbits. In 2024, they spent $50 million on digital ads, targeting students and workers near stores. Ever get a Snapchat ad for a half-price Iced Capp when you’re near a Tim Hortons? That’s their geo-targeting at work, boosting foot traffic by 12%.

Their ads hit the heart, too. The “Proud Fathers” campaign, showing a dad and son sharing Timbits at a rink, got millions of views. Fans on social media shared their own Tim Hortons stories, amplifying the campaign for free. They also team up with influencers who post fun challenges, like ranking Timbits flavors, reaching younger crowds organically. On TikTok, a viral Iced Capp dance trend got 5 million views, proving Tim Hortons knows how to play the digital game. They make customers feel like part of a big, coffee-loving family, whether they’re scrolling or sipping.

Community Engagement & Sponsorships

Tim Hortons is more than a coffee shop, it’s a neighbor. Their work in the community and sponsorships gives customers a sense that they are part of something bigger. Since 1974 the Tim Hortons Foundation Camps have scholarshiped children from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend summer camps, impacting over 300,000 children to date. Imagine a small town kid going on his first canoe trip made possible by Tim Hortons. Convenience stores are the heart of little towns, with their free coffee days or fundraisers. They put their logo on the jerseys and rink boards of 500 youth hockey teams in 2023 alone, across Canada.

Hockey is part of Tim Hortons’ DNA. They support events such the Brier and Ringette Championships which further connects the brand to “Canada’s” sport. For fans, Tim Hortons is captured in their rink-side chats and post-game coffee runs; it is a part of hockey. This focus on community distinguishes them from other companies such as Starbucks, which do not feel local. Thus, customers know that when they choose to spend their money at Tim Hortons they are choosing a brand that contributes. It is that connection that keeps them returning, cup after cup.

Famous Tim Hortons Campaigns

Tim Hortons’ ads are similar to their coffee, “not subtle, but you’ll remember it, and it’s exactly what you need”. They combine fun, heart, and Canadian-ness to deliver an experience that their customers can’t forget. Here is a few of those that help show what is great about their marketing.

• Roll Up the Rim (1986-Present): The campaign that makes every cup an adventure in treasure hunting. “Roll up the rim” is a contest to win free food, drinks, and large prizes such as cars. In 2024, 50 million cups rolled with a 15% increase in sales. One fortunate father in Nova Scotia won a truck and posted about it online, creating a buzz. The app’s digital rolls accounted for 5 million of those downloads since 2020, helping to keep the campaign relevant for newer generations. It’s a neat concept that makes every coffee run exciting.
• Proud Fathers (2019): A more powerful ad featured a dad and his son bonding over Timbits at a hockey rink. This was not just about snacks, but family and pride and those little things that matter. The ad received 10 million views on YouTube and Timbit sales went up by 8%. It was a discussion rather than an advertisement – even if fans didn’t walk up and down the boards read it. Fans took to social media to post their own rink-side stories. It was a reminder of what makes Tim Hortons homey.
• Welcome Home (2021) : This was heartstring pulling. Soldier surprises family with Tim Hortons coffee run. According to social media metrics, the “hugs and tears” ad garnered 15 million views and increased brand love by 20%. It wasn’t simply coffee, but the attachment to each other and to Canadian ideals. It generated a sense of authenticity by using customers’ own stories of reunions.
• Tims for Good (2022): An environmentalism advocacy campaign featuring the use of sustainable cups and community projects. It was seen by 3 million social media users and resulted in a 5% increase in store traffic. And from a compostable lid to local clean-ups, customers loved that Tim Hortons cared about the planet. It showed that the brand was not just about profits, it was about doing good and that maintains a loyal fan base.
• Double Double Identity (2020): The “Double Double” coffee is a Canadian icon and this campaign cleverly and humorously celebrated it. Fueled engagement that led customers to tell anecdotes about their first Double Double, resulting in a 10% increase in coffee sales and 500,000 new social media followers. This meant the ad campaign tapped into nostalgia, forcing Canadians to remember why it is that Tim Hortons is the coffee of choice for Canadians in Toronto and a small prairie town.

These campaigns aren’t simply marketing products, they are selling narratives. They bring a laugh, or a tear, or a cheer and all of a sudden going for coffee becomes a communal event. And it’s that “emotional pull” that keeps Tim Hortons top of mind.

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Key Takeaways

The marketing of Tim Hortons is like a Timbit: easy to consume and deliciously tempting. Roll Up the Rim gamifies coffee cups, encouraging more sales and excitement. Tims Rewards hooks them back in with simple, guiltless loyalty rewards. Sentimental narratives employed in social media and digital advertising and effective targeting reach younger consumers. Through community work and hockey sponsorships, Tim Hortons comes to feel like a “friend” rather than simply a business. From emotional ads to environmentally sound advertising, their campaigns combine a sense of Canadian-ness with something more universal. From the Tim Hortons playbook, businesses should, “understand your customers, treat them like royalty, and combine the old with the new”. And that’s how a coffee shop is a way of living.