Starbucks Mobile Applications

Public Relations
Written By Maura White

Challenge

• Position company’s first mobile applications and differentiate them in a crowded marketplace

• Build buzz and positive awareness about the applications’ and breakthrough features

• Demonstrate the beverage retailers technology prowess and leadership

• Drive adoption through earned media showing ease of use

Solution

Earn consumer, business and technology placements, as well as coverage in the cities where the brand holds significant stakeholders. Generate fanfare of the first mobile payment app from the brand in action through broadcast and video. Drive discussion of Starbucks’ leadership in the mobile app space.

Process

In under six weeks, I collaborated with the Starbucks team to create and segment messaging focusing on the objectives and achievable benefits application offered in the set.

The myStarbucks application was the first lifestyle mobile application from a brand as large as Starbucks. It gave loyal Starbucks customers the opportunity to earn points and rewards for engaging with the app. The app offered them the ability to locate and order from nearby stores for pick-up, gave them nutritional information on their favorite beverages, and allowed them to save drinks and label them so they wouldn’t have to ask anyone twice how they took their coffee.

In 2010 the Starbucks Mobile Card app was a fascinating proposition as it was a leading proof of concept when it came to mobile card payments from a major consumer brand. Wal-Mart, Best Buy, and Target didn’t move more into mobile payments until 2012. The Starbucks Mobile Card app first go-live locations was in Starbucks’ test market stores in Seattle, Wash., and 8 in Cupertino, Mountain View, Sunnyvale and San Jose, Calif. It was essential to have broadcast video of the mobile card app in action, and reach media in the consumer, technology, and payment spaces.

Rapid research combined with institutional knowledge of the landscape enabled me to easily prioritize early access for media and influencers who would be the most critical and who would provide a greater contribution to the larger conversation about Starbucks’ applications and brand position. Offering early access to those who would be most critical was essential. It allowed more time to address questions or concerns, and generated affinity for the applications and brand in the process. In addition, we highlighted ease of use across each app, focused on the fans whenever possible, and demonstrated how mobile app and card payments were the future.

Day of launch, the news was distributed across our earned and paid channels. Robust digital media kits were made available with a bundle of assets per application that included a fact sheet for Starbucks Mobile Card and MyStarbucks feature sets.

Outcome

Earning almost 150 pieces of original media coverage the campaign was a huge success. It scored placements across the nation, including articles in The New York Times, USA Today, Boston Globe, Contra Costa Times, Mashable, FORTUNE, Reuters, The Next Web, The Wall Street Journal, and Business of Mobile. Due to timing, it also received recommendations in the pre-holiday 2009 mobile application space. Most importantly, the launch secured coverage and live video coverage from major broadcast affiliates in the San Francisco area. In the weeks to follow and through steady outreach the apps were also highlighted in several “best of” lists and monthly round-ups on new apps in the marketplace.

Starbucks has the most regularly used loyalty rewards app (48%) among a list of major restaurant chains. Conversations about its position in the loyalty and mobile application space began in 2009 due the the halo of leadership generated and its evolutions continue today.

Maura White
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