Exercise on Persuasion and Consumption -- Starbucks

Sitting in Starbucks today, I spent some time focusing on the environment and how it is tailored to consumers in order to motivate them to make purchases. Right away, I noticed the smell of coffee. The coffee was of course a Starbucks blend, and wafted through the air. The lighting of the coffee shop was warm and inviting, and music was playing throughout the store. A television screen on one side of the store showed the songs that were playing, and the artist and album name. Aesthetically speaking, the store was properly branded in true Starbucks style. The right shades of green and brown combined with the typical red that comes once a year on the celebrated Starbucks holiday coffee cups. There was no confusion about what coffee shop I was in. All of these elements appealed to the senses, and subliminally constantly reminded me that I was in a comfortable setting, and that the setting was a Starbucks store.

All of these elements were consciously chosen in order to appeal to customers and make them want to buy coffee, treats, and merchandise. The baristas who worked behind the counter were also a major factor in the consumption process. They were very friendly and helpful, asking customers if they wanted anything to eat their drinks while inquiring each individual customer’s day. They made customers feel as if they were important, and often times, they remembered the names of regular customers, and the drinks that they normally ordered. Their communication was effective because it made the customer feel special, and reinforced their choice to come to Starbucks next time they want coffee, instead of any other coffee place on Capitol Hill. Personal relationships draw customers back to the same store because it’s a commodity that they might not get at another coffee shop that they aren’t familiar with.

There are many examples of effective marketing at Starbucks. Baristas make the drinks quickly and efficiently, and the drinks taste like Starbucks. The coffee, syrups, and chocolate are unique to the Starbucks chain. The taste isn’t necessarily better or worse, but it is an expected taste that customers are looking for when they order a drink at this store. When a customer gets the drink made right and in a certain amount of time, they walk away happy, and will likely come again. Another example is the music. The music is mainstream enough to appeal to most audiences. It isn’t too loud, but it’s always present in the background. Customers are told what they are listening to so that they can easily buy it if they choose to. Additionally, there are free download cards at the cash register that allow customers to sample some of the Starbucks tracks, which makes them more likely to buy songs similar to it in the future, hopefully from the Starbucks website. Also, the Starbucks branding is effective because of its prominence. The green straws and the cups are well-known to most audiences, and I know personally that sometimes when I see someone walking past me with a Starbucks coffee cup, it often makes me crave Starbucks coffee. Starbucks is able to get their brand across both internally within the store, and externally once a customer leaves with product in their hand.

Starbucks does an effective job of attracting and maintaining a solid and committed customer base through their branding, their service, and their appeal to the senses. Although they don’t constantly remind customers that they are selling coffee, they reinforce their marketing through a variety of portals that affect and ultimately persuade consumers.