Starbucks is one of the most successful and admired companies today. It has grown from a single coffee shop in Seattle 33 years ago to a $4.1 billion international company.
By studying the Starbucks Marketing Strategy you will be able to apply the principles of success that worked for them in a big way. The history of Starbucks and its expansion give this company the respect of being a model for other businesses to look up to. Why not take full advantage of this icon?
From only one store more than 30 years ago in Seattle to its still growing empire today with thousands of outlets in the United States and in foreign countries, the Starbucks Coffee Company is no doubt a well-known success story all over the world.
Many points can be attributed to the success of this innovative company from the holistically slanted Starbucks statement to the environmentally conscious Starbucks Corporate social responsibility statement. But one thing is certain, if Starbucks comes up with a new viral social media campaign it has other companies taking notes.
Uniquely Starbucks Coffee Company
The Starbucks marketing strategy is not one commonly seen in many businesses today. Did you ever realize that it’s rare to find a Starbucks ad in a billboard, ad space, newspaper or poster in places where you can expect to see advertisements for most other establishments, even huge ones like McDonalds?
Now, Starbucks Coffee Company didn’t just go for unconventional marketing strategies for the fun of it. They thought hard about promoting their company, and have decided that Starbucks is more likely to benefit if it employed unconventional word of mouth viral social media strategies that perfectly matched the concept the company wanted to portray.
Points to Learn from the Starbucks Marketing Strategy
“Unique Cup of Coffee” – Starbucks history has shown that they place emphasis on product quality. Their coffee, even if priced slightly more expensive than expected, is notorious for satisfying customers with its rich, delicious taste and aroma. While not truly premium specialty coffee as we know it today from upscale independent coffee houses and roasters, Starbucks unique “burnt espresso” coffee beverage profile introduced millions of Americans to the Italian espresso bar tradition.
“Third Place” – From the very beginning, the Starbucks marketing strategy has focused on creating the “third place” for everyone to go to between home and work. Creating this unique and relaxing “experience” and “atmosphere” for people has been very important for the company as they have realized that this is one of the strongest concepts attached to the company, to which customers have been strongly attracted.
“Customer Satisfaction” – Customer satisfaction is a very important issue with Starbucks. From entrance to the store to the very last drop of their coffees, it is a must that customers feel the uniqueness of enjoying their Starbucks coffee experience. Without a doubt, Starbucks Coffee knows the answer to the question, why is customer service important.
“Creating a Starbucks Community” – The Starbucks social media viral marketing strategy has even expanded to create a community around their brand. On their website, on Facebook, on Twitter and in their blogs; individuals are encouraged to express their experiences with Starbucks history, and the company strives to “personally” join in the discussions.
“Innovation” – Through the years, the Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to think up creative and innovative ideas to add to their products or services. They’ve added different flavors to their coffee, different drinks including Green Tea Latte, Frappuccino’s and iced teas, more food on their menu, and even became one of the first to offer WIFI – internet capability in their stores.
“Brand Marketing” – The Starbucks marketing strategy has always focused on “word-of-mouth” advertising and letting the high quality of their products and services speak for themselves. For years, this has been uniquely Starbucks, and it has played a huge part in making Starbucks Coffee Company a success. The definition of social media viral marketing speaks to this new word of mouth that Starbucks has run with and made their own.
Starbucks Coffee Company and Marketing
It is clear that the company has created greatly individualized marketing techniques to fit the promotion of the Starbucks brand as it applies to the unique concept it was built on.
Even with its missteps and setbacks, Starbucks’ marketing strategy has led the company to its current success. This fact is enough to realize that there can be much to learn from what this company has achieved to the benefit of many small businesses.
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