Improving Starbucks for your home
Starbucks is making news again with another way they are planning to expand their brand to more consumers. The company has created a new website for people who are interested in trying Starbucks coffee at home, but don't have the knowledge about the different flavors and/or the time to figure it out while they are buying coffee at the grocery store. When consumers go on to the website, http://www.starbuckscoffeeathome.com/, they are presented with an easy quiz about their own favorite coffee tastes. Their answers will help to choose a flavor that they will most likely enjoy, and then the customer can go to the store and purchase it. And even if the customer isn't sure if they want to spend their money on the entire product yet, the Starbucks website will send them a free sample of that flavor for them to try. The VP of global consumer products for Starbucks put it this way: "We want to make people understand that if you tried one [blend] and you didn't like it, it wasn't the right blend for you. That doesn't mean the whole brand isn't right for you."
I believe this idea will definitely help Starbucks reach out to a completely different target of potential consumers. I think that a lot of people wouldn't mind trying Starbucks coffee at home, but since they don't really have someone giving them advice on what flavor to try while their in the grocery store, they aren't really sure which one they want to purchase. And assuming that Starbucks coffee is probably more expensive than a lot of the other in-store coffee brands, its likely that if customers don't know what the coffee will taste like they will probably just go for the cheaper brand. However, this website can allow them to get free samples and see that it is worth it to spend a little more for better taste.
http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=126680
posted by Danielle @ 4:59 PM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
The idea of consumers being able to choose and test Starbucks coffee at their homes is a great idea for any typical coffee brand, it brings in new customers and definitely creates buzz in the industry as no other coffee brand or chain has done this before. However I feel like this change, along with a few other new Starbucks changes recently, do not quite fit with the brand character and feel. Starbucks sells atmosphere and a chill, cool vibe. Let's face it, Starbucks drinks are great but the plain coffee is not very special, but it is still way overpriced. Starbucks originally began as a "third destination," a place between work and home to relax and chat with friends. The atmosphere in Starbucks is very laid back with comfy chairs and soft jazzy music playing. The original Starbucks is meant as a place to stop, chat with friends, and hang out at, not a place to run through quickly and spend way to much on overpriced coffee that isn't all that great. While Starbucks is trying to improve and attract more customers through promotions like these, in my opinion they are devaluing their brand by no longer seeming as bohemian and cool.
I would have to agree that this is a good idea in terms of establishing potential consumers. I am not a coffee drinker but recently late nights have forced me to turn towards coffee. Since I am a new consumer of coffee, I find myself holding up the lines at Starbucks because I am not fully familiar with the different flavors that they offer. So giving consumers the options to pick and choose the coffee that better suits them all in the comfort of their own home is genius. I believe that this idea is very convenient for new consumers of Starbucks coffee and it will be very effective in the long-run. I think by allowing the consumers to visit this website is just free advertising for Starbucks when think about it, and also a good promotion plan. Who would reject free samples of Starbucks coffee?
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