Nicole Hunt

My favorite movie of all time is "You’ve Got Mail." There is a scene in the movie where Tom Hanks explains to Meg Ryan what he thinks of Starbucks. He says,

The whole purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, non-fat, etc. So people who don't know what the hell they're doing or who on earth they are, can for only $2.95, get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self: Tall. Decaf. Cappuccino.

While this is a silly notion and one I don’t particularly love being associated with, I can’t help but agree with the truth behind it. There is a sense of belonging when there are so many choices, and you know exactly what you want.

I see Starbucks exactly the way Starbucks wants me to see them. I view it as a second home. A destination where I know a perfectly delicious treat will be made in a little under a minute by a friendly salesperson for a competitive price. I feel that sense of self that Tom Hanks describes whenever I see someone staring at a menu with no idea how to sift through the options. But since it is my second home, I am already well versed in the menu. But one of the things that I adore the most about Starbucks is the ”the way I see it” campaign. I love that every time I purchase a hot drink, I will also get a mini philosophical lesson. The variety of thoughts and the depth of many of the insights continue to amaze me.

One of my favorites is a very simple answer. It is #257 in the campaign, and it says, “the way I see it, love wins.” How could you read that on latte and not want to come back? When I have had a particularly rough day I crave precisely three things: sweat pants, a winter scented candle from Bath and Body Works, and a Starbucks latte. Clearly Starbucks has marketed their way into my stress relief routine quite nicely.

I have felt this way for many years, and never thought to analyze the reasons until now. But really, Starbucks is a marketer’s miracle child. It has all of the elements in place to make anyone, no matter their age, race, creed, or background feel at home in a strange city. Through a careful analysis, here is what I have learned from Starbucks.

1: Color is important. Most restaurants use colors like red and yellow to engage consumers with their feelings of hunger. Starbucks doesn’t play on something so basic. Its colors are green and brown. Green is used by marketers to make consumers feel at ease and with an element of harmony. It is the color of tranquility and relaxation. Brown is the color of nature. It’s the color of being home and comforted. So by combining these two colors in their marketing, they are able to make consumers instantly feel at ease, comfortable, and home.

2. Consistency Matters. Whenever I travel, I like to go to Starbucks because every Starbucks looks like the one by my home. The same warm tones and relaxing music will greet me when I walk in. My drink order will be exactly the same as it always is, and the barista will know exactly what I want when I spill out “iced double tall soy chai” without the inevitable stares or “can you please say that again, and slower,” that I get from other coffee shops.

3. (And most important) Engage the Customer: As mentioned above, Starbucks “The way I See It” campaign finds a way to connect with the customer. This is also done quite well through their red cup campaign (only available at the holidays) and the “Spread the Cheer” campaign in which customers do one good deed for someone else and then log it on the spread the cheer website. People can log in to see all the good in the world.

Starbucks does all these things very well. And while I know that these are all carefully planned tactics created by a corporate giant to keep me hooked, it’s clearly working. Yes, Starbucks is expensive. Yes, it probably tastes exactly the same as if I made my own lattes. But I am now and likely will remain a loyal Starbucks customer. And I have nothing to say to the marketing executives other than “thank you.”

Do you Starbucks?

Photograph Credit:
Sabrina Segal