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Marketing Like Starbucks?

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Starbucks.

Global reach.

Local touch.

Working at local coffee shops is something that happens regularly with me. Getting stuff done from any place having an Internet connection is one of the lures of Internet marketing, right?

I recently saw an interesting note on the back of a Starbucks bag that caught my attention. If you are a regular there, perhaps you’ve seen this one too.

I thought I’d share it here, and see what your thoughts are.

Marketing Like Starbucks?

Here is what the bag says:

“Hi,

We’re making a change. Using simpler recipes and taking out artificial ingredients. So your food not only tastes better it is better. It’s a start. But w think it’s a good one. Hope you do too. Enjoy.

Your Friends at Starbucks
p.s. More to come.”

Here is a picture of the bag:

As for feedback, I’m saving mine for the comments.

What are your thoughts on this style of marketing, pitfalls? How does it make you feel as a customer or potential customer? *What might you apply from this in your own marketing? Why?*

Chime in below.

copywriting, featured, marketing ideas, marketing strategy, marketing tips, startbucks marketing

About Travis Campbell

Husband. Dad. Marketing automator. Author. Educating and coaching others in their online business endeavors. Here's his Google profile.

View all posts by Travis Campbell →
  • http://kremtronicz.com/ kRemtronicz

    I too have to admit that these bags are more than “stuff holders.” I love their approach, personally. The one that caught my eye was the one about better ingredients for everything they do. No more high fructose corn syrup, etc. Good, short post!

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

      It is a fine balance for a large company to maintain a personal touch. 

      In my experience with them, Starbucks seems to inject marketing messages on nearly everything they print, without being overbearing. 

      As marketers how can we be doing more with our *products* to get our message out?Sidenote: Not a fan of high fructose corn syrup either. :-)

      • http://kremtronicz.com/ kRemtronicz

        Your question can be challenging for many. In our company’s case, we are currently re-inventing our brand and how we approach our clients. We believe in thinking outside the box when it comes to promote ourselves, and we got a few ideas already, but being “green” is a big concern we think everyone should stick to. So, Starbucks is leading this marketing campaign with a separate, “hidden” one by offering recycled packaging.

        Now, what can we do with our products? I think each field should invest time in coming up with newer, green ideas rather than following the traditional “company pens,”  for instance.

        • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

          Encouraged to hear the question is having the desired impact. You make a good point, I think “green” is an underlying “feel good” part of this bag, but not the primary one. For some, it might be enough to push them over the edge (and continue to frequent Starbucks). 

          I find fresh ideas come when I get away from work, and look at plain things before me from a new perspective. As you well state, “company pens” are dated for most and should be replaced with something more relevant and interesting (unless it is a spoof on company pens). 

  • Jackie

    Startbucks has been stand out marketing for quite some time. I like the fact that the message is personal, almost as if it is coming from a friend. It invites you to come back for more.

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

      Invites you to come back. That’s how they survive, repeat business, right? Do you survive on repeat business, if not, what about referrals? 

      Thanks for chiming in, there are some great lessons here for marketers.

      Other ideas?

  • Ron

    Starbucks=smart. They obviously get people talking, look at the additional PR they got for this from marketingprofessor!

  • Holly

    This is a sales letter. It even has a P.S. Kudos to Starbucks.

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

      Nice. Yes, I guess you could see this as a sales letter. I don’t think Starbucks sells Kudos, but I could be wrong :-) 

  • http://twitter.com/smallbiztrends Anita Campbell

    The handwritten font style is what makes this!

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

      Anita-

      Agreed. Like a note from a friend!How many have had success with postal marketing with a handwritten style? Many direct mail marketing pieces seem to have perfected this (especially the envelopes).

  • http://www.joemanna.com/blog/ Joseph Manna

    To me this is one of those clever forms of customer communication. If I had to guess, they adopted it from Chipotle. Very conversational and casual tone, assuming the person is familiar with Starbucks. 

    I tend to notice little things like this when I interact with businesses. It shows they care about the customer, their interests and even sets the expectation that they will make more eco-friendly and/or waist-friendly options in the future. 

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

      Nice play on words Joe “waist-friendly”. :-)

      How do you introduce change in your business? Does this paper bag provide any insights on how approaching change with customers it could be different? 

  • http://staffperformancesecrets.com Leon Noone

     G’Day Travis,
    Is this the same Starbucks who decided that their logo should be a stylized mermaid and nothing else?
    It seems trendy and cool but I wonder who’s going to read what’s written on the bag: especially in that stylized pseudo-handwriting.
    And I wonder about the text. It makes Starbucks sound like just another coffee shop jumping on the “organic” bandwagon.
    Look at their sales figures in six months time, not now.

    Of course, I’m only a HR bloke with a blog. I’m not a marketer. But I admire Ken Burns.
    Make sure you have fun

    Regards 

    Leon

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

       Always good to hear from you Leon. 

      You might be surprised how many would read the bag, when they are holding it to chomp on their pastry or cookie. I’m not a Starbucks guru, or a coffee historian, but it seems to me as a coffee house Starbucks has been on the “green” or “organic bandwagon” for some time. 

      But then again, I could be wrong. 

  • http://www.salesrescueteam.com/social-media-measurement-tools/ TJ McCue

    Travis, great post. I live near Seattle, but that’s not why I’m a fan of Starbucks. I think they created part of the small office trend of being able to work from anywhere; they inspired the Third Place (that area outside the home where people congregate and socialize) that was family and kid friendly.  People who go to SBUX will read those bags. Guaranteed. Without a shred of doubt, they will read it and they will be impacted by the message. Is it a sales message, partly. Is it effective? Yes. Is it genuine? Relatively so. As genuine as you can be writing one to one, to the masses. I frequent indie cafes just as much and you can’t help but stand in awe of SBUX and their marketing prowess. You can make lots of small arguments (not you personally) that this was effective or not, but the reality is — they make an impact because of the way they approach their customer, which is generally positive and encouraging. If it wasn’t effective, you wouldn’t have a line out the door in the morning, and also just about most times of day.  Sure there are stores that don’t have lines, but in many major areas they do. In my small town, they do.  Do they make mistakes? Yes. Should we learn from their efforts? Absolutely.  I’m intentionally being quite emphatic because I find it ridiculous for us as marketers to poke fun at something and squibble over tiny points when it is clear that it is working and effective and worth considering.

    • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

      Well stated TJ. While I haven’t seen it yet, my understanding is Starbucks exists on every corner in Seattle! I do a fair amount of “indie” (as you say) shops as well, and in my opinion as it pertains to a global company, Starbucks has one of the most effective “direct” personable marketing machines on the planet.

      I think there is a lot to learn from stuff like this. As a wise man used to say, “eat the meat and spit out the bones.”

  • http://www.MarketingProfessor.com Travis Campbell

    David, appreciate your comment.

    In my opinion, FAIL is a strong word in this case. It seems to me DD appeals to a much wider net of consumers than those of Starbucks. While they both might sell coffee and pasteries, I was first introduced to “Cake Pops” at Starbuck’s not DD.

    What say you?

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