The holiday campaign by Starbucks promotes its seasonal classics as customers seek familiar conveniences during the pandemic while promoting mobile ordering to reduce in-person interaction as cases of coronavirus begin to rise again. The movement continues the efforts of the coffee giant to publicize smartphone transactions and payments.
Mobile orders increased from 18 percent of sales in its March quarter to 24 percent in the September quarter, with upgrades to its mobile ordering app and advertisement promotions to increase customer awareness, Starbucks President and CEO Kevin Johnson said last week on an earnings call.
Even as sales moved from mainly drive-thru service back to stores that had restored seating as lockdowns eased in several areas, mobile ordering notched upwards. Active users of the Starbucks Rewards loyalty programme rose from the previous quarter by 3 million to 19.3 million and surpassed pre-pandemic levels with a rise of 10 percent from the year before. The firm did not reveal how many customers use its mobile app, which for many years has been the most popular payment app in the U.S.
The initiative also includes Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter social media activations, six weekly magazine full-page insertions and digital display banners on desktop and mobile platforms that urge individuals to order drinks via the Starbucks app. The campaign that involves three 15-second TV and digital video spots that reveal their holiday drinks and the tagline “Festive is a tap away, download the app today,” as per a statement by the company.
As shoppers remain sceptical about spending a lot of time in shops and malls, Starbucks is the latest brand to promote its digital distribution platforms in holiday-themed marketing. Among the latest examples, toymaker Lego debuted a multi-channel campaign this week that includes shoppable formats that allow customers to purchase items depicted in their advertisements directly. With a campaign that displays its web address in spots highlighting TV personality RuPaul, Old Navy also got a head start to the holiday shopping season. Starting on Black Friday, the firm plans to run a four-part series on YouTube named “RuPaul-iday” featuring Old Navy items and demonstrations of holiday-inspired activities.
