Starbucks' Marketing Mojo
Starbucks Brews Gold With Smart Integrated Marketing Communications
The Starbucks brand signifies much more than coffee in the minds of stakeholders: more importantly, it represents a sense of community and shared ideals among customers, employees and the world at large. The company conveys this image through its integrated marketing communications efforts and, considering the brand’s stellar success, its efforts are worthy of examination. Starbucks’ marketing efforts include internal marketing, engaging in sustainable development projects and encouraging customer participation.
Starbucks' Marketing Prioritizes Internal Stakeholders
The company’s positive brand image is partly a manifestation of Starbucks’ marketing efforts with its internal stakeholders. The company treats its staff like they are part of a caring community. Among other perks, even its part-time employees are offered health benefits. In turn, these important stakeholders afford the same good treatment to customers, apparent by their friendly and knowledgeable service. This great customer service plays a crucial role in conveying Starbucks’ community-oriented and customer-centric image to the public.
Engagement in Sustainable Development Projects
The company’s brand image is further enhanced through its commitment to sustainable development projects. Among other worthy endeavors, Starbucks has partnered with Conservation International to help preserve the environment. Customers feel that by purchasing Starbucks they are taking part in a positive communal ritual of sorts that helps the community and world at large. This creation of a brand image with meaning that transcends tangible product and service benefits has been an important contributor to the company’s client retention and satisfaction.
Encouragement of Customer Participation
Starbucks is conscious of how increasing customer participation with its brand can result in heightened loyalty, and the company does a nice job of encouraging this through its integrated marketing communications efforts. Starbucks, for example, has questionnaires in its stores urging customers to send in feedback about their experiences. Encouraging customer participation is essential to the success of any company in this day and age of increased competition and choices, and Starbucks has done a find job of involving consumers with its brand.
Lessons to be Learned From Starbucks’ Marketing Initiatives
Organizations can learn a few valuable lessons from the Starbucks marketing playbook:
- Focusing on developing and implementing strong internal marketing programs can bolster consumer brand perceptions.
- Creating a brand image that transcends tangible benefits and becomes synonymous with the advancement of humanitarian efforts can strike a cord with likeminded consumers and result in their lifelong loyalty.
- Encouraging customer participation through such methods as consumer surveys can further bolster the relationship between brands and consumers.
Starbucks’ Marketing Efforts Prove Valuable
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