The Marketing Genius of Starbucks

There is simply no denying that to stay relevant in business in the 21st century companies must engage their customers digitally. There has been no greater champion to this fact than Starbucks. Selling $5 cups of coffee at the height of the latest recession, Starbucks not only managed to stay relevant, but also to increase their stock by $68/share. Entreprenuer.com recently posted a great info graphic (click below) detailing the many ways in which Starbucks is dominating the digital world and translating that into real fiscal growth for the coffee giant.

One of the most important things that it appears Starbucks has done is to have expertly assessed their clientele. Being a coffee chain, they understand that many people will be passing by on their way to work, probably in a rush. So how did Starbucks address these people’s needs? It boosted its company’s capabilities to conduct quick payments via its customer’s mobile phones reducing checkout time. Most ingeniously, catering to the next generation back in 2007, Starbucks started partnering with campus libraries, opening 107 locations inside college libraries that year, all of which offered free Wi-Fi. They found a niche, not only helping campus libraries increase traffic, but expanding off the often weary eyed college students in need of internet access. The thing that was so genius about this move into college campuses was that it targeted an entire generation of up and coming adults – it cemented itself into their culture and routine thus maintaining its presence in their lives past their graduation dates. Following those weary eyed college students to their morning drives to work now. Most importantly though, not only has Starbucks never stopped seeking out how it can integrate the latest technologies, paired with the needs and wants of its clientele into its business model, but it’s been, literally, number one in engaging people via social media. Doing all this wonderful stuff only really pays off if people know about it and, according to the numbers on this info graphic, they have been no slouches in getting their information out there and staying valid. There perhaps has been no greater story of business branding than the one playing out with Starbucks…

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