9A – Testing the Hypothesis, Part 2

Interview 1:

How frequently do you go to, or visit Starbucks?

Interviewee: I go rarely. I know there are a lot of Starbucks on campus, but I would rather go to Dunkin’ because of the prices. Starbucks is a bit too much for my budget.

Did you enjoy your experience at Starbucks?

Interviewee: I enjoy my experiences in Starbucks. I just don’t visit much because of the prices. But I believe Starbucks does a good job at providing good customer service.

What is your current impression of Starbucks?

Interviewee: I think they are kind of overrated. Dunkin’ has like the same products at a cheaper price and Starbucks is just everywhere; it’s annoying.

What words do you associate with the brand when you hear “Starbucks?”

Interviewee: Overrated and overpriced.

How does Starbucks make you feel?

Interviewee: Starbucks has good coffee and all, but, yet again, I find it annoying how their drinks are overpriced and their establishments are everywhere. Its overrated.

What methods or reasons might motivate brands today to maintain loyal consumers?

Interviewee: They get loyal customers by serving drinks of the best quality all the time every time. It’s never a bad tasting coffee that I get from Starbucks.

What do you think has contributed to the success of Starbucks?

Interviewee: Don’t know, I have no idea how a coffee shop became so prominent. Maybe they used the same strategy as McDonald’s.

Interview 2:

How frequently do you visit Starbucks?

Interviewee: I haven’t been in Starbucks in a few days.

Did you enjoy your experience at Starbucks?

Interviewee: Yeah, it’s always chill.

What is your current impression of Starbucks?

Interviewee: I like their coffee and their establishments.

What words do you associate with the brand when you hear “Starbucks?”

Interviewee: Quality coffee, chill vibes, nice people.

How does Starbucks make you feel?

Interviewee: They have good coffee, and I love the experience one gets when in Starbucks. It’s very quiet and a good place to study.

What methods or reasons might help brands today to maintain loyal customers?

Interviewee: Brands can retain customers by using things such as membership rewards, punch cards, and incentives to come back. Another way is to have great customer service and be unique.

What do you think has contributed to the success of Starbucks?

Interviewee: The great drinks, especially the variety they offer. They have everything for every taste.

Interview 3:

How frequently do you go to, or visit Starbucks?

Interviewee: Once every couple of months.

Have you enjoyed your experiences at Starbucks?

Interviewee: Yes, I like coffee, I’m not super into Starbucks but I like good coffee.

What is your current impression of Starbucks?

Interviewee: My main impression is that they are a global chain.

What words do you associate with the brand when you hear “Starbucks?”

Interviewee: Capitalism and coffee.

How does Starbucks make you feel?

Interviewee: Caffeinated.

What methods or reasons might motivate brands today to maintain loyal consumers?

Interviewee: I think that they have managed to do that by creating new drinks and keeping the ones that people like.

What do you think has contributed to the success of Starbucks?

Interviewee: The fact that they are everywhere.

Interview 4:

To start, how frequently do you go to, or visit Starbucks?

Interviewee: About once a week.

Did you enjoy your experience at Starbucks?

Interviewee: Yes, the service is usually pretty quick, they rarely mess my order up and the customer service is good.

What is your current impression of Starbucks?

Interviewee: I think of coffee and them spelling and calling out my name wrong.

What is your current impression of Starbucks?

Interviewee: I think of coffee and them spelling and calling out my name wrong.

How does Starbucks make you feel?

Interviewee: Good, I generally enjoy going. My one gripe is of course how expensive the drinks are.

What methods or reasons might help brands today to maintain loyal customers?

Interviewee: How often people check the reviews before going to a restaurant.

What do you think has contributed to the success of Starbucks?

Interviewee: Millennials, their good marketing and quick, reliable service.

Interview 5:

To start, how frequently do you go to, or visit Starbucks?

Interviewee: I’d say probably about once a week.

Did you enjoy your experiences at Starbucks?

Interviewee: I guess, it’s not great or bad.

What is your current impression of Starbucks?

Interviewee: They are an extremely Liberally biased company that pursues profits under the guise of environmental and political progressiveness.

What words do you associate with the brand when you hear “Starbucks?”

Interviewee: Hippie, Bernie Sanders, Liberal, corporation, greed.

How does Starbucks make you feel?

Interviewee: Starbucks makes me feel like I have caffeine jitters as a drink, and unrepresented as a company. 

What methods or reasons might help brands today to maintain loyal customers?

Interviewee: Having ethical production.

What do you think has contributed to the success of Starbucks?

Interviewee: Positioning sales in the right location based on their underlying political agenda.

Who: The consumers of Starbucks are mainly consisted of people with positive life attitudes who are worried about their image and status, rather than the costs. A majority of Starbucks consumers are generally very high income, and senior in age. Consumer motivations may be due to being a hard worker, or having an extremely busy lifestyle. The corporation targets the working class, or people who are occupied in their daily lives. Due to their immersive lifestyles, customers can grab a drink “on the go,” and Starbucks also offers bottled drinks for convenience. Many college students purchase Starbucks due to it containing caffeine, along with its prevalence through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The needs and motivations of consumers include a quiet environment to hold a conversation with family, friends, and colleagues, private time to his or her-self with free Wi-Fi and something to drink, or a unique present or gift for a friend.

What: The consumer mindset consists of people with high income, are hardworking, or have an extremely busy lifestyle. While Starbucks may seem appealing to most all, the true loyalists tend to be millennials. It has owned this market, by continuing to adapt to the ever-growing needs of the generation. The market problem for Starbucks is that it has reached a saturation point in its home market, along with the struggle of not attracting new customers. Starbucks has appealed to a large target market by offering customers luxury in the form of a coffee beverage, along with a home away from home, to do work or take time for themselves. However, a current issue with the coffee chain is that Starbucks currently has too many stores open around the world. Despite the fact that the coffee chain’s same-store sales went up in the last quarter, this was due to higher averages checks in traffic. Starbucks has been placed at the premier level of obtaining true loyalists to the brand.

Why: The main points that Starbucks focuses on when advertising include quality-based differentiation, excellent customer service, and a high focus on customer orientation. Starbucks treats consumers like family due to the store’s welcoming environment- while a majority of the target market goes to the physical stores for the beverage products, some also go for the experience as well. In order to promote their seasonal products, the brand posts and promotes the new product through social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to receive high engagement. Despite the fact that Starbucks uses all forms of traditional media, social media is one of their top used ones. By marketing towards those with office jobs, Starbucks utilizes their quick services to provide beverages for white-collar professionals on their daily commute to work but many college students purchase Starbucks due to their products containing caffeine. By maintaining superior customer service and the “Starbucks experience,” the brand will continue to be successful as one of the most popular stores for all audience, even those that are not within the target market.

Table:

Who is In: Affluent or high-income consumers; high income and senior in age; people with positive life attitudes who are worried about their image and status, rather than the costs; the working class	Who is Not: Those with office jobs; white-collar professionals on their commute to work; college students who are dependent on caffeine; those that are loyal to brand competitors such as Dunkin’ Donuts coffee
What the Need Is: A quiet environment to hold a conversation with family, friends, and colleagues, private time to his or her-self with free Wi-Fi and something to drink, or a unique present or gift for a friend	What the need Is Not: Technology innovation is ingrained into the company, but is not emphasized towards consumers to maintain the homely environment; not following traditional forms of advertising
Why the Need Exists: The need exists because Starbucks has reached a saturation point in its home market, along with the struggle of not attracting new customers; brand opening too many stores in world	Alternative Explanations: The brand advertises and sells its products with a sole purpose in mind and does not want to be portrayed as the giant global corporation that it is; communicating brand purpose

Summary: Overall, my findings helped me discover that Starbucks should accentuate the focus and intent of the brand, answering the question, why are we here? To appeal to the target audience and encourage them to purchase merchandise, the products should be highlighted through social media posts or viral marketing campaigns. Partnerships and collaborations with more brands and retailers can also be done, such as deepening partnerships with overseas businesses in order to significantly elevate the “Starbucks experience” for foreign customers who are new to the brand and integrating multiple platforms across both the Starbucks and foreign market ecosystems, enabling a user-friendly interface and personalized experience. This would also appeal and increase the market share of non-coffee or caffeine-free drinkers. Starbucks products appeal to what consumers want both qualitatively and quantitatively. Consumers tend to lean towards Starbucks not only for the products- mainly the beverages, but for the experience as well. There are multiple factors that set Starbucks aside from its competitors in the market.