Speaking of grounds. Ad Age is featuring an article on Starbucks' new product today. The instant coffee called Via.
The chain is expecting between 8 million and 10 million consumers to visit its 7,500 company-run cafes in the U.S. and Canada to participate in a taste test that runs Friday through Monday. Participants will receive a "thank you" card good for a free coffee on their next visit, and $1 off their purchase of Via at any Starbucks.
They are doing an all out attack on various forms of tradition and social media. This includes inviting all of their facebook friends to the taste testing event.
Here's the Ad, I couldn't embed it.
Starbucks Via Taste Test Ad
The best part is when the guy stands up in the middle of the town meeting and says "I can't taste the difference!... I CAN'T!" hahaha
I think it might be the smartest thing they've done in a while. My friend Nash and I have long seen Starbucks as a dying brand. It just got too big too fast, and you can go to a Starbucks location and watch the place kill itself. And the thing is, I know I read an article where they brought in their original guy and were trying to 'get back to their roots'. Remember when Starbucks used to be a warm inviting place, with comfy chairs, plenty of space, with intelligent, hardworking, kind employees, and the strong aroma of fresh ground coffee? Today it's a place that is over cluttered with it's POP items, overpriced mugs, stupid anecdotes and quotes strategically place all around the store, and incompetency. Everyone I've talked to about Starbucks tells me the biggest difference they see is in the service. No one wants to go to a coffee shop with 6 people working behind the counter trying to make coffee for 3 people and still managing to ruin the orders. I remember that was a big reason we used to go to Starbucks. They made your coffee lickety split, and without too much hassle.
Another problem?
Those print ads with the anecdotes and facts? They have a tone of arrogance that I don't see any of middle America being fooled by. They try to relate to their customers and say "Hey, we're friends here." To which I say-- When have we ever been friends? You sell me overpriced coffee and you sell it HARD. Too hard. You're pretending to be my friend to make more money. So fail fail fail with the print ads.
But here's where the Facebook thing comes in. People actually feel some sort of connection to the company, not just because they are friends with them on Facebook (because we all know how fake that can be) , but because they are getting some sort of tangible feedback with the invites and the offers. Capitalize on that while it lasts because nothing is good forever.
So sell your instant coffee and get people away from your store while you try to piece it back together!!
Yet. Even So. Are they behind McDonalds in the taste test concept? Struggling to reel their customers back in as more and more head next door to McDonalds?
Let me tell you two personal stories about this whole thing:
When my dad and I were driving to Lbk more recently, we stopped at a Starbucks to get our morning coffee fix. There is a sign (on the door at 8 or 9 am mind you!) that says, 'We will only be open from 2pm to 6 pm due to lack of employees" WOW. FATAL mistake. There was a McDonalds RIGHT NEXT DOOR. We watched several people try the Starbucks, realize it was closed and head to McDonalds, including ourselves.
Second. When I was interning at the Ad Agency, I volunteered to help with a lot of PR events on the McDonalds account. In one case, we were set up outside of a baseball game, giving out free samples of McDonalds McCafe Iced Coffee. Talking to people, connecting with people, getting them to try the product. There was no mention of Starbucks, or being better than them, it was just straight up-- "Check us out". That was over a month ago, and here comes Starbucks with their taste tests. A little late starting if you ask me.
Until next time! Hope they come out with syringes with which you can just inject caffeine right into your bloodstream. WHOO!
2 comments:
Well, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the McCafe iced coffee. It's fast, cheap, and pretty tasty! BUT...(this is the HUGE but) their ads are so cheesy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnZpgpwHPic
"Oh yeah..Neo-Soul poetry and bad jazz, 'Urban' consumers can 'get down' with that." WTFever
LAME!! Haha, the corny jazz club looks like some place they would hang out on "Sister Sister" circa 1998. Completely cheeseball!
We just talked about this on the phone, but I mean, what does Dwele say about himself for selling out to McDonalds and it's "Cheesiness?" I read up on some comments and stuff and a LOT of people like him. I don't find the music that good, but I'm saying. Money. We watch McDonald's try to rise up above the 'uber trendy' coffee shops and Starbucks' and this is there failed attempt to do so. I agree about the "Sister Sister" vibe, but I think they were trying to be sexy but keeping it cheesy all the same because, come on, 'this is a family place' haha. But your point really interests me, I'm about to do a blog entry over all of these McCafe commercials from different countries. Tune in.
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