I graduated with a degree in psychology and I have a coffee addiction so abcnews.com’s article was irresistible: Starbuck’s Psychology. The article points to some specific, subtle marketing principles incorporated by the ever-expanding Starbuck’s chain:
It has everything to do with the marketing strategy behind this designer coffee chain, which devised a clever way of creating its own community. It also pinpointed one key aspect of caffeine shoppers: They want their coffee immediately.
“Designer coffee” for certain. Knowing this fact, they devised their strategy:
Across the United States, there are 9,814 stores with a total of 13,728 worldwide. The Starbucks management has watched coffee drinks, and figured out exactly what people will and won’t do for coffee.
“We actually study traffic patterns,” said Starbucks CEO Jim Donald. “If it’s in a downtown area, we study foot-traffic patterns.”
“Not everyone can shop at Tiffany’s, but everyone can afford a cup of coffee — even if it’s $2, $3 or $4,” Blumenthal said. “You can do something nice for yourself by buying yourself a good cup of coffee every day.”
While 80 percent of the sales are takeout, they’re still delighted to have customers stay and sit with their computers for hours to make the place feel lived in.
The tables are also rounded to give it a comfortable atmosphere. As Blumenthal explained, round tables are more welcoming than those with square edges, and people look “less alone” while seated at a round table.
It is remarkable to me that this company with a clear market-leading position has placed such an emphasis on the minute details. Is your marketing program as finely tuned to your customers’ expectations?