Vanessa Vachon’s Post

What we can learn from the Starbucks Puppuccino 🐶 ☕ When we go to a coffee shop, the goods and services we receive can largely be categorised into two groups: Expected and Unexpected. In the Expected: good coffee made from freshly ground beans, ambiance, hospitality, comfort, choice, rewards for loyalty. Since the coffee space is a crowded and competitive market, we demand these things as standard. In the Unexpected: Special promotions, partnerships and added value items, the stuff we can't get at home. For instance, the Puppuccino. An espresso cup full of whipped cream. Cost to Starbucks, minimal, almost non-existent. Benefit to consumer: Huge. Now every time I pass a Starbucks with my dog it becomes an event. A reason to go. It's symbolic of the flexibility of this third space, where anyone is welcome - even those with a waggy tail. And of course, if I'm going in for a free 'Pup Cup', I'm going to buy coffee while I'm there. This reinforces spending habits, positive association with the brand, and offers a surprise and delight moment. So next time you're working on a brief, perhaps ask yourself - what are the Expected and Unexpected benefits I can bring to life. And why is the second category so much more powerful than the first...?

As desperate at Starbucks may be, doing a Frappy Meal will hurt the brand… As a brand, everything you do either hurts or helps the perception of your business. This ultimately impacts the experience your customer, loyal or not, has with you. This Starbucks ‘Frappy Meal’ will impact those who enjoy the luxury of buying at Starbucks. They aren’t wanting a deal, they want to feel more special. Improve the way your employees act or think of ways to make your buyers feel more special is far better than trying to trick them into buying more to save a buck.

Starbucks is the miracle story of a US-based company becoming the expert globally in selling quality coffee. The company gave us the concept of an extra living room, or as Starbucks says,’ the third place between work and home.’ The coffee is not cheap, but the perception (supported by the price) is that you get a quality cup. 💡The company has tried several times to break out of the Coffee category but time after time realises that Focus on the Core remains the best strategy. Read my post ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/edeEY-Kq #Starbucks #Focus #Strategy #productportfolio

Hello, Brand Lovers! Did you know that Starbucks, the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, has a language of its own? The Starbucks baristas, the people who make and serve coffee here, use many interesting slang terms to communicate with each other. For example, a "blonde roast" is a light roast coffee, and a "red eye" is a coffee with a shot of espresso added. Some of these terms are even known to the customers like "tall", "grande", "venti", and “trenta”, which are used to refer to the different coffee cup sizes. For a much deeper breakdown, do check out the complete branding case study on my YouTube channel, called ‘Brandzpree Branding’. #starbucks #starbuckscoffee #language #barista #brandingstrategy #brandinspiration

Awwwwww yea, triple star day is tomorrow!!! But wait, shall we do some back-of-the-cup math? A Starbucks cold brew iced coffee costs me $5.62. I need 200 stars to get a free cold brew iced coffee. On a normal day, my $5.62 order earns me 10.5 stars (5.25% of a free cold brew). On a normal day, my $5.62 order earns me $0.30 cents toward my next free cold brew. On a triple star day, my $5.62 order earns me 31.5 stars (15.75% of a free cold brew). On a triple star day, my $5.62 order earns me $0.89 cents toward my next free cold brew. If this promo is successful and if I were not already planning on going to Starbucks on Tuesday, my triple star day, Starbucks just sparked $5.62 in income in exchange for an additional palm greasing of $0.59. Netting $4.31 from me in the process, on a day when I were not visiting Starbucks. Not that exciting when you peek under the hood…unless you’re Starbucks. P.S. Yes I'll still be going to Starbucks tomorrow. #retailmarketing #coffee #marketing #loyalty #loyaltymarketing

How Starbucks makes you pay more for coffee. There are many great coffee brands out there. But Starbucks is really rich, worth over $100 billion. So, how do they get you to spend more money on coffee and keep coming back? First, they use fancy Italian names to make their stuff seem special. Italy is famous for its food. Everywhere you go in Italy, you can get yummy pasta made with fresh ingredients. From "baristas" to the sizes of their drinks... "venti" and "grande". Starbucks is trying to make you think their coffee is super fancy. Second, Starbucks tries to be friendly with each customer. When you order coffee, they ask for your name. And when your coffee is ready, they say your name. This makes you feel closer to them. Third, Starbucks doesn’t just sell coffee, they sell an experience. You can make your coffee just the way you like it. Their stores have wifi so you can stay, work, or even have meetings. And they have cool new places like the Starbucks Reserve Roastery, the Reserve Bar, and the Reserve Store. It’s like a fun place for people who love coffee. And if you don’t like Starbucks, you can go to smaller coffee shops instead... like Seattle’s Best. Oh, but that used to be owned by Starbucks too. ;) Whether you love or hate Starbucks, you can always learn from their marketing.

What does this image mean to you? To most of us this is just a photo of a gross Starbucks pastry, but to me it acts a the perfect symbol for a common and disappointing strategy that businesses deploy when they become super successful. As I took my first bite I was immediately confronted by the texture. It was as if I’d tried to take a bite out of a roll of paper towels. My first thought: Is Starbucks mad at me? It is as if they know they have generated so much momentum with their customer base that they have stopped even trying to produce a good product. Next came the flavor of sawdust and a hint of flour that seemed both raw but also like it had been baked for 2-3 hours. How could this be? Starbucks did almost 30B in revenue in 2023. More than double what it was ten years ago and almost 8x since 2003. They’re one of the biggest business success stories of the last 30 years. Too surprised to spit it out, I quickly got a taste of the “cheese” topping. My understanding is that it is made of a dollop of sour cream that is dried out, then mixed with 10-12 tablespoons of granulated white sugar. Then I remembered that Starbucks came under heavy fire in 2023 for understaffing their stores, allegedly in order to drive increased profitability. They’ve had a number of scandals around the apparent toxicity of their working culture. They are also being sued for misrepresenting their coffee as ethically sourced. Finally, I swallowed and endured the lingering aftertaste of an old library book. I used to love Starbucks. It was a warm, inviting environment. I studied there through school, and I could often be found with a cup of blonde on my desk at work. But this pastry…man. Don’t be Starbucks. In the tech world we are now squarely in an era where profitability is king. And make no mistake, I think it’s great. But I’ll be looking out for the businesses that continue to look after their customers. I’ll be betting long on them. As for the danish, I promptly tossed the remainder onto the floor of the passenger side of the car and decided that I was moving on as a customer. But every once in a while, I’ll be wandering by a Starbucks location and, if the sun is at juuust the right angle, the rays will hit that display case and the reflection will bounce off that bright white pastry with enough power to burn its sad image into my retinas for minute or two.

This is not a business related post per se, but being that everyone reading this is a human being, and we should care deeply about the welfare of those around us, I am reposting for your evaluation. This is not to speak specifically to Starbucks, but to the amount of plastics and forever chemicals that our convenience living has accustomed us to ingesting. Butter wrappers, processed food containers, the beloved coffee cup, and my Achilles heel the Ziploc bag, all have the potential to leach toxic chemicals / plastics into our bodies. The solution? I am not sure, other than limit exposure as much as possible, with the realization that our lives won't really allow us to eliminate all exposure. And if you manufacture, sell, or use these products to distribute to consumers, it is time to rethink what is possible and retool your supply chain.

Starbucks #Starbucks #coffee #beverages #customerservice #customerexperience Maybe with Starbucks Reserve coffees, it can be marketed to come back in-store for a sit-down, enjoyable coffee liqueur-inspired experience. With the fall/winter seasons around the corner, promote in-store, sit-down moments of enjoying hot beverages and baked items. Make a consumer feel the desire to take a moment to relax and enjoy the Starbucks ambience again. Customers may want convenience sure, but not at the expense of feeling like only a commodity. A great time for re-evaluating and re-discovering appeal. https://lnkd.in/gAmRtWMX

I am no finance expert (or coffee expert). But I do like the hypothesis that at least part of Starbucks’ problem is that it’s no longer a “third place.” When I meet a friend or colleague at a coffee shop, I want a welcoming atmosphere (and a child-friendly environment, because I usually have a toddler in tow and will soon have a baby with me as well!). The quality of the drinks and food is, usually, secondary. I usually prefer an independent coffee shop, and the small town where I live has one in town and several nearby. I agree that Starbucks used to be that place. Now, with its prices comparable to the craft drinks but its in-store experience often incomparable, it’s hard to find a reason to go there. When we go to Starbucks, it’s usually to hit a drive-through for some caffeine on a road trip. At my favorite local coffee shop, the owner knows my daughter’s name and says hi to her as soon as she says hi to me. She offers events, including a free monthly toddler storytime. She sells locally-made products. It’s not really about the food and drinks (although they’re good, too). It’s about the people. And really, that’s what every business should be about: the people. #starbucks #hospitality #peoplefirst #empathy #customerservice