PROMOTION:
Introduction –
Promoting a business and its products has always been an essential part of any company. Once upon a time it was all on paper. Fliers, posters and even billboards. Now, in the 21st century, things are done a little differently. Starbucks have taken promoting their business to a whole new level. They do not do traditional promoting. Instead, they have thought outside the square and come up with brilliant, out-of-this-world ways to promote their special coffee brand.
Findings –
Starbucks opened its first store in Seattle, Washington. It was part of a fish market in Pike Place. The business grew to be successful and was still going strong a decade later. In 1981, a person by the of Howard Schultz experienced his first cup of coffee at Starbucks. He was so impressed with the place, that he decided to join forces with the company and is now President and chief Executive owner of the Starbucks franchise. In 1983, Howard travelled to Italy. His experience with coffee over there inspired him to introduce European coffee culture back home in America. From 1987, Starbucks begun to transform into the coffee house we know today. The “home away from home”. During the 1990’s, Starbucks begun to take over the rest of The United States, then the rest of the world. “Our mission (is) to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighbourhood at a time” – Shultz. When walking into a Starbucks store, you are greeted with smiling staff and a gentle warm feeling as you gaze around and see the comforting feel of the tables, chairs and couches and cushions! This inviting scenery is just one part of the promotional strategy Starbucks have thought up. But how did the company keep encouraging people to come back? Advertising had reached new heights with Starbucks. No television or radio commercials were needed. A simple word of mouth and the additional ‘buy one get one free’ coupons received in the mail or newspapers and magazines, kept the flow of customers coming in. Fast forward to the 21st century and the invention of the internet. A giant billboard on the side of a highway was great. But was that what Starbucks needed? They had the crowds; they had the exotic coffee; what more could they do? In come the seasonal drinks and a fancy website! A website full of colour, add a splash of delicious, velvety warm coffee, and you have another successful marketing tool. Once the website was a global phenomenon, well the options were endless. From this came the online menu, loyalty card program and an online shop where people could purchase tumblers, reusable cups, and assorted clothing items. In recent years, Starbucks launched their latest promotion by joining forces with food delivery companies. This gave them even more exposure and business. Partnering with an external company was a successful strategy for the company. It gave them the opportunity to sell their quality coffee in supermarket stores, displaying the Starbucks name on the packaging. And with all the social media websites there are nowadays, the opportunity to continue promoting new ideas and reaching a larger community is endless. Conclusion –
As we can see, Starbucks are in a league of their own. To start out as a tiny store amongst a fish market, to become a global success, WITHOUT the use of the traditional television or radio commercials, we can see that Starbucks are indeed a cut (or perhaps several) above the rest when it comes to promotion and marketing advertisements.