Starbucks has around 20,000 stores worldwide and makes roughly 15 billion dollars every year. One of the secrets of Starbucks’ financial success is their unique marketing platform which has led to nearly worldwide recognition. Below explains four marketing practices every business should learn from Starbucks, one of the most recognizable brands in the world.
While most marketing professionals assume that customers wish to remain anonymous, Starbucks famously started the trend of having the barista’s write down the customer’s name and call it out when their order is ready. Personalizing the purchasing experience is an excellent way to build rapport with regular customers. In fact, according to Forbes, marketers know that personalized content increases response rates.
Starbucks is a master of different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. They simultaneously posts the same photos throughout the different platforms which creates standard content and will continually reach a new audience. Besides cross-promotion, Starbuck also utilizes customer created content through encouraging users to share their Starbucks moments or selfie pictures. In fact, Starbucks’ “Buy 1, Get 1” promotion typically creates a lot of social media content through likes and shares.
Starbucks focuses on comfort and quality over low cost and convenience. That is, customers prefer Starbucks for the customized experience, friendly staff, and of course, quality coffee drinks. Starbucks’ market segmentation centers on loyal customers who want a sense of community and quality experience. In fact, Starbucks doesn’t just focus on pulling in new customers, but keeping their current customers happy. As a result, the Starbucks experience offers extra value, which keeps their stores full and is an excellent advertising and marketing tool in itself.
Starbucks was one of the first major store chains to offer free Wi-Fi. However, Starbucks continues to embrace technology and offer it to their customers. For example, they now offer wireless mobile phone charging through Duracell Powermats in select stores. They also offer mobile phone apps which allow customers to order their drinks through their iPhone or the Apple iBeacon system. Embracing technology is an excellent marketing tool and means of increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction. In fact, the company is even offering advanced services through cloud-based technology and Clover coffee machines.
To summarize, every company can learn valuable marketing techniques from Starbucks. These include personalizing the customer’s experience, mastering social media, and carefully choosing your market segmentation. So whether you are a small medical clinic looking to improve customer service with Automated Patient Surveys and communication tools like Solutionreach, or a restaurant trying to find more ways to customize their dining experience with faster service, looking at these examples might help give you a head start. When you embrace new technologies and find more connections with current customers, you can improve sales and marketing practices.
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