Comments on: Starbucks Free Pastry FAIL

By: Zack MacLean

Zack MacLean — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:50:12 +0000

Was this the promo that was only restricted between the hours of opening and 10:30am on one specific day? If so, the small window of a promotion is probably why it failed. I think Starbucks should have made the promotion have a larger window or promoted it in the latter part of the day. They already run an in-store promo for customers to get a discounted coffee on the same day after 2pm. Why not continue to promote for off hours if you are not able to grow the customer base during morning peak hours?

By: Barbara

Barbara — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:02 +0000

This is so interesting to me. Everyone thinks Starbucks is a top brand and yet the promotion itself (free anything during their peak hours) seems counter to what a promotion like this should achieve. Does Starbucks need ANY more customers before 10:30 am each day? Isn’t there a time of day where they want to remind customers to think of them? The comparisons with McDonald’s are completely fair: McDonald’s is taking on Starbucks where it hurts most: quality, choice, premium coffee drinks at a better price and in as many locations. That’s gotta hurt. So if Starbucks doesn’t think through their response (carefully) and have a customer friendly program that anticipates and answers any backlash, they are destined to fail. Next time they should try a free cookie at 5 program – and be ready to give out a lot of cookies……

By: Grant Simmons

Grant Simmons — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:18:12 +0000

Seems internal communication is more of a challenge to Starbucks than external social interaction. All companies should consider internal socialization of communication as important to their success as any other.