As I mentioned in the Starbucks Experience post, there are not a whole lot of commercials for Starbucks, and those that are available aren’t geared towards drinks that are available to customers when they go to an actual Starbucks location versus a grocery store. Starbucks is a word of mouth advertiser as well as the walking billboards they have, also known as their coffee cups.
Starbucks appeals to several different demographics and in turn use several different persuasive strategies. They can use the plain folks pitch if for instance a college student has rolled out of bed after a long drinking weekend, and are just getting their morning coffee in their sweatshirt, sweatpants, and Ugg boots. On the other side of the spectrum, Starbucks uses the business demographic to put out the snob appeal.
Many times when there are commercials, they are shown on the company’s website. If the customers go and look at the website on a regular basis then I think those advertisements can be very effective, but if they aren’t being seen, how can they be effective?
Because Starbucks doesn't do a whole lot of billboard advertising or commercials, a lot of their products are purchased because of the word of mouth. The company does not do a whole lot of public advertising. When you walk into the Starbucks, you notice they are promoting specialty drinks or products within the store, but the way most people hear about these products is from friends, family, or just from seeing the product while being out and about. The signs or samples that are promoting new drinks or specials help a lot. So many times, there are people who are stuck on their morning muffin and house coffee that they don’t realize there is a new promotion happening. When there are signs, usually with a picture, customers are more likely to try it.
Another way Starbucks advertises is through Twitter and Facebook, but this is mostly a way for social networking, and a way for the company to receive feedback from their customers including positive and critical feedback. Starbucks also has a website where all their products are available for sale, and for customers to discover what drinks fit best with their taste buds.
Many other coffee places do advertising similarly to Starbucks. Dutch Bros, for example, has not done many commercials beyond promoting a grand opening for a new location. One thing that Dutch Bros does different is the fact they have several decals for cars, allowing people to get the Dutch Bros' logo in their head.
