Kristin Annetta, Danielle Damato & Michael Carfi

February 25, 2015

MRKT 3011

Direct Marketing Campaign

“BUILD-YOUR-OWN-SMOOTHIE”

Table of ContentsSection 1: Introduction………………………………………………………………………… 3

Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………... 3

The Competitive Environment………………………………………………………………....... 4

The Marketing Mix…………………………………………………………………………….... 5

Previous Direct Marketing Campaigns………………………………………………………….. 7

Competitor Profiles……………………………………………………………………………… 8

Section 2: Direct Mail/Email Campaign……………………………………………………... 11

Campaign Strategy & Rationale………………………………………………………………... 11

Target Market Considerations……………………………………………………….................. 12

List Strategy………………………………………………………………………………......... 12

Offer Strategy…………………………………………………………………………………... 13

Creative/Copy Strategy………………………………………………………………………… 14

Timing & Frequency of Mailings…………………………………………………………….... 15

Geographic Location and Coverage…………………………………………………………… 15

Costs of Mail Campaign……………………………………………………………………...... 16

Section 3: Direct Response in Social Media…………………………………….................... 17

Social Media Selected…………………………………………………………………............. 17

Social Media Circulation ………………………………............................................................ 17

Target Market Considerations………………………………………………………………..... 18

Offer Strategy………………………………………………………………………………...... 19

Creative/Copy & Offer Strategy……………………………………………………………….. 20

Timing & Frequency of Ads………………………………………………………………….... 22

Section 4: Conclusion…………………………………….......................................................... 23

Customer Service/Fulfillment Goals/Strategy………………………………………………….. 23

Social Responsibility & Ethical Considerations………………………………………………... 24

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………........ 24

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Section 1: Introduction

Executive Summary:

The first Starbucks was opened in 1971, and ever since then they have become a very

special and well-known company. Their mission is simple: “to inspire and nurture the human

spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” Starbucks strives towards not only

serving the customer the best cup of coffee, but also providing them with a unique customer

experience. The company wants the customer to feel a sense of connection when they walk

through the doors; they want them to come in to Starbucks to chat, meet up or even work. On the

Starbucks website it states, “We’re a neighborhood gathering place, a part of the daily routine –

and we couldn’t be happier about it. Get to know us and you’ll see: we are so much more than

what we brew.” Once you step foot into a Starbucks franchise, you will know that statement is

completely accurate. Starbucks differentiates itself from other coffee shops because they offer

“high-quality whole bean coffees, as well as premium teas, fine pastries and other delectable

treats.” Even their exceptional ambiance is created through the music they play and the décor

they use, making Starbucks stand out amongst the coffee shop industry.

The number of stores has increased every year since 1971. In 2014, it was

recorded that there were a total of 20,519 Starbucks stores, which proves revenues have

increased as well. This number continues to grow because of one simple reason: people love

Starbucks. At Starbucks, they believe in helping the community and the environment, purchasing

only the best products to serve to their customers. On the Starbucks Company Profile it states,

“We believe in the importance of caring for our planet and encouraging others to do the same.

We are working to significantly reduce our environmental footprint through energy and water

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conservation, recycling and green construction.”

Based on the way Starbucks takes pride in their business, we believe it is time to

implement one more product into their company: smoothies. The smoothie industry is rising and

sales are projected to hit $9 billion in the year 2015. Based on Starbucks’ main target market, we

believe smoothies will make a huge hit. A “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie” process will be put into

action, where the consumer can choose exactly what ingredients they want, making it a fun and

delicious way to obtain a healthy lifestyle.

The Competitive Environment:

The main competitor of Starbucks is Dunkin Donuts. Although they have similar

products with different tastes and flavors, their customer experience is significantly different. A

Starbucks experience and a Dunkin Donuts experience differs between store lighting and décor,

between coffee choices and food choices and even between the employees and the way they

attend to the customers. These differences reflect each company’s values, target markets and

strategies, therefore targeting specific customer segments.

Although Dunkin Donuts is the main competitor of Starbucks itself, when it comes to the

smoothie industry there is another realm of competition. According to PRWeb, “The world

market for smoothies is projected to touch $9 billion by the year 2015. This is primarily driven

by rising health consciousness among the people, on-the-go consumption convenience, and taste

and naturalness offered by smoothies.” Smoothie King, Jamba Juice and Planet Smoothie are just

a few of the major franchises in the smoothie industry. Similarly to Dunkin Donuts, these

businesses also have their own specific differences when it comes to products, customer

experiences and marketing strategies. As for one example, in the upcoming year Planet Smoothie

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is releasing a new “Revive, Recharge and Rebuild” line of smoothies, including healthy

ingredients such as cayenne pepper, cucumber and lemon juice. In the years to come, the US

smoothie market is projected to witness a healthy growth rate, which means key companies like

the ones listed above are going to continue to expand. This growth will be driven by factors

including convenience, delicious taste and health-consciousness among the US consumers.

The Marketing Mix:

Product:

For our product, we plan to implement a “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie” process within

Starbucks franchises. We are creating a checklist that the customer can pick up when they first

enter the store (example on page 15). This checklist will include a series of categories in

which the customer can simply check off which ingredients they would like in their smoothie.

These categories include:

1. Choose Your Base (milk, iced green tea, fruit juice etc.)

2. Choose Your Fresh Fruit (bananas, strawberries, pineapples etc.)

3. Choose Your Greens (spinach, kale, romaine lettuce etc.)

4. Thicken it Up (Greek yogurt, oats, ice etc.)

Once the customer fills out the entire checklist, they have to go up to the cashier and hand the

barista their checklist. Within the next 2-3 minutes, the customer will be able to walk away

with a refreshing, healthy smoothie.

Price:

For the tall (small) size, smoothies will be priced at $2.75. For the grande (medium) size,

smoothies will be priced at $3.25. For the venti (large) size, smoothies will be priced at $4.00.

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Since our product is seasonal and the ingredients used are farm-fresh and organic, some of

these prices might differ. These price changes can result from market prices of certain

ingredients increasing or decreasing. The customer will be notified of these price changes on

the checklist when/if it occurs.

Place:

As previously stated, the place our product is going to be featured is in Starbucks. Since

this is a new idea, we plan to first implement the process in Starbucks franchises strictly in the

New England area. Within the New England area we plan to focus mainly on Starbucks

located in Boston and Providence. Besides Boston and Providence being two of the most

popular cities within New England, they are also homes to hundreds of thousands college

students, which are who our main target market is. If the product proves to be profitable and

successful, then we plan to expand the product into Starbucks all around the country, again

focusing on main college towns/cities.

Promotion:

Our campaign is going to begin on the first day of spring, March 20, 2015, and run for

two months, ending May 20, 2015. There are many ways to promote our product within that

time frame. First of all, we plan to use social media as a key source of promotion. In order to

do so, we are going to use Instagram and Twitter. For Instagram, we want to encourage our

consumers to post a picture of their smoothie wherever they are (the beach, the park, school

etc.) and use the hashtag #BuildYourOwnSmoothie. Any consumer that posts a picture with

that specific hashtag will instantly be submitted into a contest. Within the two months, each

week three lucky winners will be chosen randomly and will receive a $50 Starbucks gift card,

as well as having their image featured on the Starbucks Instagram. As for Twitter, we plan on

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using Starbucks’ own company account. Like Instagram, consumers must tweet with the same

hashtag (#BuildYourOwnSmoothie). Starbucks will then tweet about the contest going on on

Instagram, as well as randomly retweet tweets containing that hashtag daily. We also plan to

have new faces come on board to promote our product. Fitness gurus and popular sports

players can also tweet or Instagram about our new product, which will bring in even more

consumers once they see their idols participating in the “Build Your Own Smoothie” process.

This will create word-of-mouth buzz about our new product, while also promoting users to log

onto Instagram to participate in the contest and to log onto Twitter to express how they feel

about our product.

We also plan on using direct mail and e-mail as a way to promote our product. We are

going to use a postcard as our form of direct mail. The post card will include bright colors and

images, catching the consumer’s eye. The post card will have a brief description of the “Build

Your Own Smoothie” process, as well as a coupon on the back. The coupon will bring

customers into the store by offering 50% off their first smoothie. Both direct mail and e-mail

tactics will be very similar; the only difference is that one is physical and one is digital. This is

beneficial so that consumers have different ways to redeem their coupons. They can come into

the store with the postcard, a printed version of the e-mail, or a digital version of the e-mail on

their cell phone. These promotion strategies will be beneficial because it will be offering

consumers incentives to come into the store and make a purchase, as well as using word-of-

mouth tactics to expand our consumer base.

Previous Direct Marketing Campaigns:

Previously, Starbucks has not participated in direct advertising. According to Rebecca

Lingley of Liberty University, “The Starbucks Corporation does not aggressively market the

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company or their product. Instead, they are driving their sales through the company’s image and

reputation.” Starbucks has built their company to be a well-known and consumer-friendly brand.

Their mission is short and to the point: “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one

cup and one neighborhood at a time.” Starbucks was founded in 1971 and surprisingly since

then, “the company does little if no direct advertising via commercials, ads, or other forms of

promotions.” (Lingley 4) Currently, the company relies solely on promoting their brand through

an e-mail distribution list in which only customers of Starbucks sign up for. Also, they market

themselves through partnering up with ethically focused agencies, such as the NAACP, as well

as infiltrating their products into general consumer markets. So far, Starbucks has been

successful by using word-of-mouth marketing and strategic alliances, but we believe it is time to

incorporate direct marketing tactics within the Starbucks franchises.

Competitor Profiles:

Smoothie King:

Smoothie King is one of the most popular smoothie franchises, winning #1 Juice Bar

Franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine for 21 years. According to

www.smoothiekingfranchise.com, “$567,578 is the average gross sales of the top 25% of all

traditional franchised units in operation for entire calendar year ended December 31, 2013. Of

the 114 franchised units included in the average gross sales for the top 25%, 45 franchised units

(39%) met or exceeded the average gross sales.” Smoothie King offers an array of smoothies,

varying from fitness blends (blended to help you get toned, build muscle, last longer or recover

faster), wellness blends (blended to help you boost immunity, balance your diet or simply feel

better), or energy blends (blended to give you an extra burst, make it through the day or simply

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stay alert). Other than smoothies, Smoothie King also offers enhancers (fitness enhancers, energy

enhancers, slim enhancers, etc.), snacks (chips, bars, yogurts, etc.) and supplements (2 Part

Cleanse & Flush, Natural Calorie-Burning Weight Loss, Super Boost Green Tea Fat Burning,

etc.)

Jamba Juice:

Jamba Juice’s mission is “to be the leading healthy lifestyle brand offering consumers

great-tasting and better-for-you products.” In 2014, Jamba Juice was voted one of the best

franchises in America by Forbes Magazine, as well as being the #1 Top-of-Mind Smoothie

Brand in the country. According to the Jamba, Inc. News Release, “Highlights for the 52 weeks

ended December 31, 2013, compared to the 52 weeks ended January 1, 2013 included:

1. Net income improved by $1.8 million to $2.1 million compared to a net income of

$0.3 million for the prior year.

2. Total revenue for the year increased 0.2% to $229.2 million from $228.8 million for

the prior year.

3. 52 new franchise-operated stores opened in the U.S. during the year.”

When looking at this report, it is apparent that Jamba Juice franchises are expanding due to their

successful rates. Similarly to Smoothie King, Jamba Juice offers even more of a variety of

products, especially when it comes to their food choices. Aside from smoothies, they offer

energy bowls (a blend of real fruit, Greek yogurt and/or soymilk topped with an assortment of

dry toppings and fresh fruits), freshly squeezed juices, hot teas, Jamba Kids Meals and snacks

(toasted sandwiches, breakfast wraps, baked goods, Artisan flatbreads and oatmeal).

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Planet Smoothie:

Planet Smoothie is another leading competitor in the smoothie industry. Their mission is

“To make every guest’s day better by serving great-tasting products as a celebration of health

and happiness.” Today, they have over 100 stores across the country, and they are growing

constantly. They have a partnership with Tasti D-Lite, creating endless business opportunities.

According to an interview in 2010 with the President of Planet Smoothie, Jason Mann, annual

revenue was above $500,000. With that being five years ago, Planet Smoothie’s current revenues

have grown even more. Unlike Smoothie King and Jamba Juice, Planet Smoothie strictly offers

only smoothies. Their smoothie flavors are unlike any other, offering some of the most unique

flavors such as PBJ (peanut butter, strawberries, bananas, frozen yogurt, nonfat milk and vanilla)

and Crazy Carnival (organic acai, mangos, raspberries, bananas and apples), which are just two

of the 43 flavors Planet Smoothie features.

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Section 2: Direct Mail/E-mail Campaign

Campaign Strategy & Rationale:

As part of our direct mail and email campaign strategies, we have chosen to reach our

target market by mailing them a postcard consisting of a sample of our in-store Build Your Own

Smoothie checklist, which they will be able to present in-store on the day of or within one week

of our “Build Your Own Smoothie” campaign launch, which will be on the first day of spring,

March 20th 2014. Customers that present this piece of direct mail will receive 50% off their first

smoothie purchase, and the postcard will be entered in a sweepstakes drawing for additional

prizes. The same sample checklist will also be emailed to our exclusive customer list, allowing

them to print it out at home and bring it in as well. We plan to mail 150,000 postcards one week

prior to the launch, The initial 200,000 postcards will be sent one week prior to the launch of the

campaign, and will contain the 50% discount offer for a smoothie purchase within the first month

of the launch, if postcard is presented. The following 800,000 postcards will be send out each

month simultaneously, and will each contain a similar offer.

Starbuck’s current marketing strategy “does not aggressively market the company

through traditional means but instead focuses almost entirely on high-level marketing and

branding of word-of-mouth and key alliances and partnerships.” (Lingley) In other words,

Starbucks does not use using direct marketing strategies such as commercials, ads, or other

promotions, but solely relies on brand awareness, reputation, and word-of-mouth through their

partnerships. Although these strategies have been successful thus far, an increase in competition

of price and product, as well as the competitions’ use of direct marketing strategies poses a threat

for Starbucks. In an effort to help combat this threat and keep their title as “one of the most

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valuable global brands,” (Lingley) we have decided to implement a new, nine-week direct

marketing campaign that will target a specific market niche in a new, more direct way.

Target Market Considerations:

The market we seek to reach is mainly college students and health-conscious, workout-

savvy individuals between the ages of 18 and 24. The reason we are considering targeting people

in college areas is because the number of Starbucks operations in these areas are abundant and

extremely successful for many reasons. Not only is Starbucks a College student’s “go-to” for

coffee and other refreshments, but they are so conveniently placed that they easily reach these

on-the-go students looking for a quick refreshment. Students also spend a large portion of their

time inside Starbucks facilities in order to study or hang out in the comfortable, relaxing

atmosphere, making them an excellent target. An even more specific target is the health-

conscious or workout-savvy consumer. Individuals who are conscious of their health are more

likely to go to a Starbucks then they are a Dunkin Donuts or Orange Julius, as Starbucks has

more of an emphasis on environmentally friendly products and the use of fresh ingredients.

People who are looking for a pre or post-workout refreshment are going to seek something

healthy and/or non-fat, and Starbucks offers more of those elements on their menu, especially

with the edition of this “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie” edition.

List Strategy:

In order to reach our target market segment, we will focus on utilizing customer

information obtained through a consumer complied list consisting of the demographics of college

students within 10 miles of the Providence and Boston areas. In order to target the health

conscious market we will utilize a consumer lifestyle enhanced list, which will allow us to

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identify consumers in our target region by age, as well as by those consumers with specific

interests in health, dieting, and exercise. We will also utilize Starbuck’s current email

distribution list, which contains Starbuck’s customers who have previously signed up to receive

the promotional emails.

Offer Strategy:

The offer strategy we plan to utilize includes incentives to drive traffic into Starbucks

retail stores as well as the Starbucks Website. The copy of the offer will be mailed as a postcard,

and will consist of a check-list that reflects our new product: the “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie”

checklist. In correlation to our new “do it yourself,” checklist program, the piece of mail will

present a simplified example of the actual checklist that will be used in-store when making a

smoothie purchase. The postcard will also include the link to the As an incentive to try our new

technique, customers who present the piece of mail will be offered 50% off their first “Build-

Your-Own-Smoothie” purchase, if used within one month (by April 4th) of the launch of the

campaign. In the following month, there will be two different offers each set of mailings

including: “Receive $1 off Smoothie Purchase, and “Buy One Get One 50% off.”

These postcards will also be eligible to be entered in an in-store “sweepstakes,”

which will be drawn at the end of the campaign, and one winner from each participating store

will receive a $100 Starbucks Gift card, giving customers an additional incentive to bring in their

piece of direct mail. The same sample checklist will be sent as an email attachment exclusively

the customers in our target region who are currently subscribed to Starbucks emails, so they have

the opportunity to either print out the offer, or present it on their smartphones or tablets in-store.

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Creative/Copy Strategy:

Our copy strategy focuses on a postcard advertising our new product line. The physical

piece of mail will be an oversized postcard and will correspond with the simple, more

sophisticated colors and fonts that Starbucks is known for. The back of the postcard boasts the

Starbucks Logo, and includes the date of the campaign launch, as well as a short description on

what the new product line is. The campaign website is also included as a way to drive up web

traffic. The front of the card features a sample checklist, outlining the neat, simple ingredient

checklist that will be used in-store. The phrase “Take Control” is made in order to grab the

attention of consumers, as they are greatly motivated by incentives that put them in control of a

product or service. The simple checklist that highlights the many different healthy, tasteful

ingredients creates an interesting incentive for not only Starbucks fanatics, but for prospective

customers to check it out as well.

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Timing & Frequency of Mailings:

We plan on sending the initial 100,000 direct mail offers out one week prior to the launch

of the Build Your Own Smoothie campaign, on March 13th. After that, we plan to send out two

follow up offers with 100,000 pieces of mail for each; one on day 30 of the campaign, and one

on day 60, two weeks prior to the end of the campaign which will be on May 20th, 2015.

Geographic Location & Coverage:

We plan to launch the initial Build Your Own Smoothie Campaign in New England in

order to test the response rate. The Geographic location we seek to reach for the initial direct

mailing offer will include city areas with heavily populated college campuses and students, with

a strong focus on areas within 10 miles of Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston, Massachusetts.

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Costs of Mail Campaign:

Build-Your-Own Smoothie P&L Statement (Size: Venti)

SalesUnit Value # Units $ Total

Revenue (Selling Price) $4.00 150,000 $600,000

Less C.O.G.S. $1.50 150,000 $225,000

Total Gross Profit Revenue $2.50 150,000 $375,000

Less returns (1%) $4.00 1,500 $6,000

Net Sales $2.48 297,000 $369,000

Expenses Unit Value # Units $ Total

Production (printing) Costs $0.25 300,000 $75,000

Postage Fees $0.22 300,000 $66,000

List Rental Fees $60.00 1,000 $60,000

Fulfillment Costs $0.15 150,000 $22,500

Overhead 10,000

Total Expenses $233,500

Income

Income before taxes $135,500

Taxes (33%) 44,715

After tax profit/loss 90,785

Profit % to net sales 24.6%

Basis for Figuring:50% response rate300,000 mailings

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Section 3: Direct Response in Social Media

Social Media Selected:

In order to achieve direct response through Social Media, we have chosen to create

awareness of our new product through an Instagram “contest,” while using the Starbucks Twitter

account as well as partner Twitter accounts as a way of promoting the challenge. Because the use

of the Internet, especially Social Media sites, have become increasingly popular, important and

useful elements in today’s direct marketing campaigns, we believe that utilizing these sites in

order to promote our new product will be overwhelmingly successful. In fact, the worldwide

spending on social networking advertisements was $16.10 billion, so clearly this type of direct

marketing strategy has proved to be useful. Twitter and Instagram are among the top 10 most

popular Social Media sites available today, so we truly believe this offer strategy will lead to

success.

Social Media Circulation:

The Starbucks Twitter account currently has 7.2 Million followers, and Instagram has 3.7

million followers, making these two Social Media Sites an excellent way to reach our target

market of current customers. We believe that by incorporating the use of the

#BuildYourOwnSmoothie hashtag technique into our campaign, our number of followers and

response rates will sky rocket. We will also utilize the Starbucks Twitter account to retweet any

followers who tweet about the new product using the hashtag. Twitter users tweet to popular,

famous accounts because there is a sense of accomplishment that comes with being recognized

by a famous person or business, including the Starbucks brand. If followers see that the

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Starbucks account is retweeting other people’s tweets, they are much more likely to post to them

as well, creating more of an incentive, increasing buzz, as well as our number of followers.

We also plan to partner with other Twitter accounts that are based around health, dieting

and exercise. Advertising through an account that already has a huge fan base consisting of

people that are in our target market is an extremely advantageous way of reaching prospective

customers. The majority of people who follow these types of Twitter accounts are health and

workout conscious, which is exactly the target we are trying to reach. If their followers see that a

dieting account is promoting smoothies from Starbucks, they are more likely to buy because it is

healthy and within their dieting boundaries. If a workout account posts positive feedback about

how the smoothies provide nutrients and energy that is needed for a good workout, those people

are going to go out and buy as well.

Target Market Considerations:

Our Target market is going to be focused on our current Instagram and Twitter followers,

as well as the followers on our competitor’s accounts, and the accounts that focus on health,

diets, and exercise. We will also target accounts by geographic region, as well as any accounts

affiliated with colleges that are part of our target geographic location. Targeting our current

customers is not only an easy way to create buzz, but it is also a way for them to spread brand

awareness to their own followers. Targeting followers on our competitor’s accounts will allow us

to reach a target market with similar interests as our own, which is another useful technique.

Targeting accounts that focus on health, diets, and exercise will not only help us reach the health-

conscious, workout-savvy consumer we are seeking, but partnering with these accounts will also

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help promote our product and offer strategy through their own account, channeling to an even

broader market segment, thus increasing response to our campaign.

Offer Strategy:

In order to promote our new product, we decided to create an Instagram contest offering

incentives to post pictures of customers’ “Build Your Own Smoothie.” In order to start up the

campaign, we will post to Instagram and Twitter a photo of the sample Smoothie Checklist

included in our direct mail campaign, as well as a description of what the new product is and

when it begins, on the same day the first round of mail is sent out. The Instagram photo contest

will begin one week after the launch of the initial campaign, and encourages customers to post a

picture of their smoothie to Instagram using the hash tag, “#BuildYourOwnSmoothie.” Each

smoothie picture that is posted using the hash tag will be entered to win the “Build Your Own

Smoothie Contest,” that will be promoted through Starbuck’s own Instagram and Twitter

accounts with a catchy phrase: “Keep Calm and Enter the #BuildYourOwnSmoothie Contest.”

After running the contest for one month, the top-ten picture contestants will be selected based

upon creativity, graphics and editing, and appeal. In the following four weeks, one winner will

be announced every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, beginning with the #10 contestant and

ending with #1. All winners of the contest will receive a $50 Starbucks gift card, with the

exception of the #1 contestant who will win Free Smoothies for a year.

In another effort to promote this offer, we will be utilizing both the Starbucks Twitter

account, as well as partner Twitter accounts. The Starbucks Twitter account will focus on

retweeting and quoting a certain number of their followers’ Tweets per day throughout the

campaign, which contain the hash tag, as a way of promoting the word-of-mouth of satisfied

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customers as well as the offer. The Instagram posts will be linked to the Twitter account in order

to reach both sets of followers. In addition to this, the Twitter account will be posting its own

Tweets containing things like sample pictures of smoothies, reminders for followers to post their

smoothies, offering encouraging comments about current submissions, and other various Tweets

that will help remind our Twitter followers to participate in the contest. We will also tweet links

to the campaign website, which contains promotional discounts as well.

Creative/Copy & Offer Strategy:

Instagram and Twitter Ad to launch initial “Build Your Own Smoothie” Campaign:

The caption of the photo will be: “CALLING ALL SMOOTHIE LOVERS! Starting

today, head in to your local Starbucks coffee shop to experience our brand-new “Build Your

Own Smoothie” creator! Take control of what goes into your smoothie by handpicking your

favorite fresh, healthy, delicious ingredients using our customized ingredient checklist! Present

this ad and receive 50% off your first smoothie purchase!” The same post will be Tweeted on the

Starbucks Twitter account, and retweeted by partner accounts.

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Instagram Photo to launch the photo contest:

The

caption portion of the Instagram post will include the description: “ATTENTION “BUILD

YOUR OWN SMOOTHIE” LOVERS! WANNA WIN FREE SMOOTHIES FOR A YEAR?

POST YOUR BEST PHOTO OF THE SMOOTHIE YOU BUILT USING OUR NEW “BUILD

YOUR OWN SMOOTHIE” CHECKLIST, AND BE ENTERED TO WIN! THE TOP TEN

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PHOTOS WILL BE POSTED TO OUR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT. THE GRAND PRICE

WINNER WILL RECEIVE FREE SMOOTHIES FOR A YEAR! All other winners will receive

a $50 Starbucks gift card!

Timing & Frequency of Ads:

The first Instagram and Twitter post will be on the day of the “Build Your Own

Smoothie” launch, March 20th, 2015. One week after the launch, in order to allow time to create

initial awareness of the product, the Instagram contents will be launched. For the following

month, there will be one post a week to remind customers to post their smoothies, and a final

post on the last day of the contest to encourage last minutes contestants. After the contestants are

chosen, the Starbucks Instagram account will post a photo winner every Monday, Wednesday,

and Friday for the following month, in effort to create additional response and interest from the

winner’s followers.

Twitter will post one tweet per week throughout the contest to remind its followers to

post their smoothies. In addition to that, it will retweet three followers per day that include the

“#BuildYourOwnSmoothie” hash tag. Partner accounts will retweet the weekly Starbucks

reminder tweet, as well as various other tweets of their choice that promotes the product.

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Section 4: Conclusion

Customer Service/Fulfillment Goals/Strategy:

Starbucks strives towards giving their customers the best possible service. From their

products, to their atmosphere to the people they hire, Starbucks has built a strong brand that

consumers love and trust. When implementing our “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie” process, we

plan to fulfill what the customer wants by offering them a fresh, new product that is both

delicious and healthy. We want to encourage the consumers to speak up about our new product

by using both social media and word-of-mouth methods. We also want to include a

“Recommendation Box” in every Starbucks store where the consumer can write down their

thoughts on a small sheet of paper and submit it. For example, if a consumer believes there

should be another “green” ingredient added to the smoothie checklist, they must simply write it

down, submit it into the box and Starbucks will take it into consideration. This will prove to the

consumer that as a company, Starbucks is listening to them and wants to hear their feelings.

Also, this will benefit Starbucks franchises so they can improve upon whatever needs to be done

by creating customer relationships and loyalty.

We also want to encourage consumers to use social media to voice their thoughts

and opinions. Whether it is negative or positive feedback, by logging onto Twitter and tweeting

about their experience, this will benefit Starbucks just as the “Recommendation Box” will. The

actual Starbucks Twitter account can interact with consumers and tweet back to those who tweet

at them. Again, this will build relationships between Starbucks and their consumers, as well as

create brand awareness and customer loyalty.

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Social Responsibility & Ethical Considerations:

On the Starbucks website when they discuss about being a responsible company, it states,

“So it is our vision that together we will elevate our partners, customers, suppliers and neighbors

to create positive change. To be innovators, leaders and contributors to an inclusive society and a

healthy environment so that Starbucks and everyone we touch can endure and thrive.” Starbucks

is an environment-friendly company that thrives on strong ethical sourcing, being globally

responsible and building a strong sense of community. By implementing our “Build-Your-Own-

Smoothie” process, it will build up Starbucks’ social responsibility more than it already has.

Every time a consumer purchases a smoothie, a portion of the profit will be donated to charitable

organizations around the world. Along with that, we also plan to use farm-fresh, organic

ingredients that come from only the best sources, as well as using recyclable cups to pour our

smoothies into. Therefore, our customers will be drinking something that is healthy for their

bodies, while also nourishing the environment at the same time, even if they don’t realize it.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, our “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie” process will be a beneficial component

to incorporate into both Starbucks franchises and consumers’ lives. It will be a fast and simple

method, resulting in delicious, healthy smoothies that the consumer can take on the go to

wherever life takes them. The ingredients we put into the smoothies will be organic and fresh,

nourishing and satisfying the consumer’s body and taste buds. Consumer’s can customize each

smoothie just the way they like it; the combinations are endless! Consumer’s voices will be

heard through social media and in person, and Starbucks in turn will work to the best of their

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ability to satisfy the consumer and build loyalty. All in all, the “Build-Your-Own-Smoothie”

process is exactly what Starbucks needs to push their company to the next level.

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Works Cited

Carroll, John. "Whatever It Takes!" Multi-Unit Franchise. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.franchising.com%2Farticles%2Fwhatever_it_takes_smoothie_operator_flourishes_in_florida.html>.

"Company Information." Starbucks Coffee Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information>.

"Global Smoothies Market." PRWeb. Global Industry Analysis Inc., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.prweb.com/releases/smoothies_market/frozen_mix_smoothie/prweb3808804.htm>.

Lingley, Rebecca. "Marketing Strategy and Alliances Analysis of Starbucks Corporation." Liberty University, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

<http%3A%2F%2Fdigitalcommons.liberty.edu%2Fcgi%2Fviewcontent.cgi%3Farticle%3D1005%26context%3Dbusi_fac_pubs>.

"Momentum." Smoothie Franchise : Smoothie King Franchise. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

<http://www.smoothiekingfranchise.com/momentum.php>.

"News Release." Jamba Juice Company. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015.

<http://ir.jambajuice.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=192409&p=irol-newsArticle&id=1906972>.

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