Brand: apple or starbucks. choose a brand that you are loyal to and analyze its
ID: 420321 • Letter: B
Question
Brand: apple or starbucks.
choose a brand that you are loyal to and analyze its use of digital platforms, including email marketing, mobile apps, and social media. What do you find most effective in reaching you as a consumer? What is least effective? Why do you think this is the case? Has it ever felt as though a business was treating you as a consumer? What impact did that have on your relationship with that business? When responding to your peers, discuss whether you notice any trends amongst your classmates in terms of what you all find to be most and least effective on digital platforms. Do you and your peers find the same digital platforms to be most effective? Why or why not? What do you think is impacting the similarities or differences?
Explanation / Answer
Starbucks is an inspiration to sell high-quality coffee beans that turned to the innovation of its own. Started from a small cup of Espresso it has become a brand that serves more than 80,000 drink combination.
Strategies adopted:
MyStarbucksIdea.com : It is a community website which is designed to collect ideas & feedback from customers. On the site, users can comment & vote on suggestions on how Starbucks can improve its business. It shows a sign that the company listens to its customers, the site summarizes all of the ideas & reports its progress & implementation.
Wi-Fi Services: Starbucks took it to the next level in 2010, when no one was providing wifi as a complimentary service, Starbucks took the initiative to expand to offering to the online offering with the Starbucks digital network.
E-Mail Marketing:
Starbucks is known for Consistency in it email campaigns.
Every email contains Expert Typography, Spectacular Images, Professional Photography and Engaging Layouts. Some campaigns are Themed Promotions according to the occasion or season.
Mobile Application:
Starbucks App: started in 2009, Starbucks began testing mobile app & launched mobile platform myStarbucks app that allowed users to locate stores. Then later on in 2011, it took a step further by making its loyalty program digital with its Card Mobile App, A stored value system in which consumers access pre-paid funds to purchase products at the store. Further, the app allows its coffee lovers to place their orders, pay & pick up without any wait.
Social Media:
Tweet-a-Coffee Campaign: In October 2013, Starbucks launched a campaign that enabled people to give the gift of a $5 gift card just by putting both ‘@tweetacoffee’ and a friend’s handle in a tweet. The coffee wasn’t free though.
#Blizzard-The real-time ads- An appreciable example of using social media to execute “ads” in real-time, blizzard reached the east coast of America in Feb 2013. Starbucks made its entry showing pictures of people holding nice warm coffee mugs. The ads were formed in such a way that, when people did an online search about the storm, Starbucks’ photos of people drinking coffee would also show up in the results as well.
#TreatReceipt: When #Hashtags started to trend on Facebook, Starbucks used it as a right tool to promote a new deal that offered customers a discount in the afternoon if they had already bought a coffee that morning, they tagged announcements of the offer with the hashtag #TreatReceipt.
In June 2010, Starbucks was titled the World’s most popular Social Media Consumer Brand-based on its Facebook fans, Twitter followers and YouTube subscribers, by Famecount of a UK-based independent media measurement service.
With its ongoing effort to reach more number of Starbucks caffeine addictive followers, the number has now extended to 36 million-Facebook, 11.1 million-Twitter & 7.2 million fans on Instagram.
What do you find most effective in reaching you as a consumer?
All strategies and activities have been effective in reaching a large number of consumers, but when it comes to numbers, social media is the winner.
What is least effective?
The mobile app has been the least effective as it is only meant for existing consumers and new consumer accusation is not possible through services providing in the mobile application.
Has it ever felt as though business was treating you as a consumer?
Yes, Whenever we enter into a Starbucks, the way in which you are treated makes you feel that you are unique. Be it the ambiance, deliver or product offering everything is considered by keeping the consumer in mind.
What impact did that have on your relationship with that business?
The special treatment that is provided to me by Starbucks has created me a more loyal consumer.
When responding to your peers, discuss whether you notice any trends amongst your classmates regarding what you all find to be most and least effective on digital platforms. Do you and your peers find the same digital platforms to be most effective?
Yes, Digital platform has been the most effective medium of communication for Starbucks. Whenever Starbucks comes up with a digital campaign, everyone gets aware regarding it.