It is so Much More Than Coffee (Part 2)

Popular wisdom says that good friends are best recognized in times of crisis. Ironically, the same refers to good corporations. I am sure that most of you are aware that Starbucks closed 600 stores nationwide last summer. Following the progression of the economic downturn the number is almost double as of present date. However, as every true player Starbucks have found ways to bounce back, well maybe not on every corner but at least on every TV.

As mentioned in the last week’s post Starbucks shies away from mass advertising. However, when sales numbers were going down, Starbucks resorted to TV ads to lure customers in. The most notable example was the massive ad campaign of Winter 2008, supported by numerous in-store promotions, guerilla campaigns, digital and multimedia marketing. One great example of the digital efforts of Starbucks is the “Sunny Day” campaign in China. The campaign was built to introduce the Starbucks Bottled Frappuccino to the Chinese commuter. Starbucks developed and produced a special soap opera series, called “A Sunny Day” (hence, the name of the campaign) that was shown in the Shanghai subway. Each story episode ran for three minutes, timed perfectly to appeal to both long-distance and short-distance subway commuters. The film is a story about a young girl from the Chinese countryside who moves to the capital to discover love, blogging, and Starbucks. Chinese subtitles enable commuters to follow the dialogue despite the subway noise, and the episodes are posted online so people can follow the storyline if they miss a showing. The film is a mixture of drama and advertising and as Howard Schultz explains, it creates a “real entertainment for Starbucks customers.”

Another unusual campaign was the “Bring on the Day” guerrilla marketing campaign that promotes the Starbucks DoubleShot drink. The marketing of the product is interesting in a number of ways. First the target audience was the on- the-go type of person, young working professional who simply does not have time to sit and chat at coffee shops. Unlike the loyal Starbucks consumer who goes to the coffee shop to enjoy his coffee, to meet his friends, to work on his laptop, the on-the-go consumer wants to quickly energize with his coffee drink so he can go back to work. Thus, Starbucks introduced the product as the “get your going” beverage. The campaign took place on the busiest street intersections in downtown financial districts, near office buildings, outdoor parks, and shopping areas. Young hip bike messengers approached the target consumer with the ready-to-drink beverage and handed it out along with a clear, relatable message- “Starbucks is here to get you through your day.”

The grassroots efforts of the “Bring On the Day” campaign were accompanied by the launch of a new website (http://www.doubleshot.com/) that offers product information and re-iterates the “Bring on the Day” message. Another element in the re-positioning campaign was the national ad campaign run on cable channels such as BET, E!, FX, MTV and VH1. The ad features the rock band “Survivor,” singing a personalized version of the song “Eye of the Tiger” to a young professional getting ready to go to work. The message is clear and simple - “prepare yourself for the day with DoubleShot.”

Yours truly,

ILINA