Top 20 Marketing Lessons We Can Learn from Starbucks
Once a small coffeehouse in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks now has over 27,600 locations all over the world, spanning 6 continents as explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. It is a classic success story of a small business growing into a global household name and represents the ambitions of millions of entrepreneurs everywhere. You don’t have to be a coffee drinker to appreciate the marketing strategies that grew Starbucks into a multibillion-dollar company since its inception in 1971. We have curated for you a list of the top 20 marketing lessons we can learn from Starbucks.
A consistent brand experience
As per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, part of the appeal of Starbucks is its familiarity. While Starbucks locations do offer some regional variations, most of the menu is the same in every location. People find this type of consistency comforting, and it has helped to create the type of powerful familiarity that keeps a brand at top of the mind of the public.
Consistent brand imagery
Brand imagery is also an important part of consistency, and this includes the logo, colors, fonts, and other visual elements. Starbucks has made a few changes to its logo over the years, but the overall design has remained very similar. This has also helped create powerful familiarity and loyalty.
Communication with your audience
Starbucks has a long and rich history of interaction with its customers, with a well-earned reputation for using social media to its best advantage according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. You should follow its cue and regularly interact with your audiences, as this way, you will know what they want and give it to them.
Have a multiplatform approach
Starbucks follows a multiplatform social media strategy covering Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube and uses each social channel in slightly different ways. This allows it to reach as much of its audience as possible, a lesson worth learning too.
Be socially conscious
Starbucks continues to build strong relationships with customers, with recent developments such as its move toward becoming an eco-friendlier business. The company has taken this direction because of increasing awareness of pollution and the need to improve sustainability.
Customer loyalty
One of the best, most proven ways to increase customer loyalty is by implementing a loyalty program as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, and Starbucks has gone out of its way to make its program as accessible to customers as possible.
Continually innovate
Starbucks is renowned for its innovative and delicious beverages and snacks and is continually introducing a new line of seasonal flavors to keep clients satisfied. Despite staying true to its roots, the company is always one step ahead of the game by keeping up with the latest client needs.
Stay up-to-date with new technology
In addition to continually innovating, Starbucks is also always up-to-date with the latest technology as captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Customers can now pay for goods using the latest technologies, including mobile payments. This makes the entire experience faster and more efficient, ensuring that regular clients who are in a rush place their orders with ease, another lesson worth learning.
Focus on customer happiness
Starbucks has a policy intended to make the customer as happy as possible. This is designed to create lifelong brand loyalty and value with every customer that walks through the doors. Similarly, you should always place customer happiness at the forefront of your marketing efforts.
Quality always trumps quantity
When a Starbucks accountant informed the company that they could save money by buying 1-ply instead of 2-ply tissue paper, the suggestion was rejected. The company teaches us that having a consistent, high-quality approach to business will undoubtedly boost your business’s reputation and enhance brand loyalty.
Your name on a coffee cup
Starbucks discovered that, in addition to the technical reasons that come with using your name on the coffee cup covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, customers also appreciate the personal experience it creates. Personalized products are always the best at creating loyalty.
Social media sharing
Adding your name to the Starbucks cup makes it easy and encourages customers to share on social media, which is something the company has benefited hugely from. The lesson here is that, when you get personal with your customers, it encourages them to share with their friends and family without your intervention.
Rewards
As already mentioned, and described over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, Starbucks’ Loyalty Program holds more money than some banks, which is pretty impressive for a coffee chain. The incentives program provides instant benefits to loyal members, and even more exciting prizes if you obtain the Golden Status. This shows how powerful such rewards can be.
Sell the experience, not the product
From the interior design of its coffee shops to the design of the cups themselves, people enjoy the full experience of Starbucks, and they make sure to share it with the whole world. How often do you see people sharing a photo of a coffee cup from a regular coffee bar? Probably not very often. The lesson here is that, while having a great product is essential, making people feel something is just as important.
The importance of emotions
The Starbucks experience shows us the importance of waking up positive emotions and feelings in people. People feel more connected to brands that make them feel as compared to those that only push a product.
Have a clear vision
When Starbucks’ founders started their coffee store in 1971, they intended to create a third place where people could come simply to unwind and connect with the community as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. The company has stayed true to its vision statement since.
Easy accessibility
Starbucks has made its products easily accessible to its target audience by aiming for their place of work and establishing its stores there. Similarly, where you place your marketing messages is crucial to their success. Make sure they are placed where your target audience is.
Product diversification
Product diversification is another reason why Starbucks is generally preferred over local coffee houses as outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. This is another lesson we can take and implement in our marketing campaigns.
Ethical marketing
Starbucks social networks are always brimming with content purely dedicated to ethical content. The company carefully controls its public image to establish a favorable reputation and make sure people perceive it as an ethical premium coffee house.
Strategic partnerships
Starbucks doesn’t limit its product availability to its exclusive coffee houses. It also partners with independent franchises to scale its distribution network and sell more coffee. Such partnerships can do wonders for your marketing campaigns too.
These are some of the marketing lessons we can learn from Starbucks, with more on this topic and much more being available over at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.