Starbucks: Brewing Customer Experience through Social Media

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Starbucks also had a presence on YouTube. It used YouTube to upload videos about its brand, advertisements, videos of its voluntary activities, its beginning, events in its history, origins of different coffee blends, etc. Starbucks allowed the videos that it uploaded on YouTube to be embedded anywhere on the web. Starbucks also had a presence on Instagram, which was a smartphone app that allowed users to share photographs in a stream. Through Instagram, Starbucks posted pictures of its products, outlets around the world, in-store ambiance, coffee tasting sessions, new product ideas, logo ideas, etc...

Starbucks engaged with customers in multiple ways through social media. This ranged from serious issues like World AIDS Day or having fun on the April Fool's Day, introducing new products, increasing awareness about the brand, gathering ideas, holding contests, etc. Instead of using social media as an advertising platform, Starbucks used it to provide customer experience and to build relationships. According to Annie Young-Scrivner, global CMO, listening to customers and engaging with them “has allowed us to stay very fresh".

Starbucks promoted events like a 'Free Pastry Day', in 2010 during which customers who downloaded coupons from Facebook were given free pastry. This campaign attracted one million customers to Starbucks stores on a single day. To make the baristas ready for the day, they were trained on redeeming coupons that were printed from the website, and digital coupons sent through mobile phones...

In 2010, Starbucks became the first consumer brand to have 10 million fans on Facebook and was ranked No.1 in online engagement. It also reached the milestone of becoming the most tweeted brand. Analysts pointed out that the Starbucks experience, which had been lost in the rapid expansion of Starbucks had been brought back by the social media initiatives. They also said that Starbucks continued to provide its unique experience to customers even if they were away from the retail location, by remaining connected with them through the social media...

Exhibit I: Phase One - Measuring Social Media Engagement
Exhibit II: About Social Media
Exhibit III: Starbucks - Selected Financial Data
Exhibit IV: Starbucks - Quarterly Financial Information

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