Coffee, Coffee, Coffee: Starbucks

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee: Starbucks. 

How Technology has changed the way Starbucks Communicates. 

    I can honestly say that I live off Starbucks. My weekday routine typically goes something like this: I wake up, go to the gym, go home, and shower. I then promptly take out my phone and mobile order my go-to drink: the strawberry acai refresher (sub lemonade, light ice). I press send as I walk out the door, and take notice of how many stars I have until I hit 150 and my drink is free. When I get to Starbucks, I grab my drink and either dash off to complete the rest of my day's activities, or I stay and sit a while, utilizing their free Wifi to get work done, maybe write a blog?

    In 1971, Starbucks was just a small coffee shop in Seattle, WA. Through the utilization and increase of technology, Starbucks now has over 29,000 stores, making over $6.3 billion in revenue in 2018 (Segran, 2019). How did this increase happen? Through the use of new technologies to make better coffee and connect with their customers. 

    To stand out above the rest, first Starbucks wanted to ensure they had the best cup coffee they could offer. To do so, they purchased Coffee Equipment Company for their brewing machine, The Clover. The Clover is a new technology for coffee lovers, ensuring the best cup of coffee through a calculated algorithm that brews coffee within one degree of Fahrenheit (Adkins). Through acquiring this new technology, Starbucks utilized technology to increase the taste of their coffee.

    With a new way to brew coffee and a growing dependence of digital technology, employees need a new set of training for the new digital world. Not only do these baristas need to know how to make coffee, but they need to be prepared for the emergence of digital technology: the new mobile app, online payments, as well as social media marketing knowledge. Working in a major corporation, the training needs to be seamless across the board for each location, which is challenging given the ever-changing digital climate.

    In 2010, Starbucks was named "the most popular social media brand" (Adkins). Starbucks has created various social media accounts to engage and communicate with their online audience (Albagli, 2015). They use this space to share messages with their audience: promotions, new products, as well as consumer shout outs. Starbuck's Instagram has over 18.2 million followers (Starbucks). They are using social media technology to its advantage "by giving them an online space to submit ideas and provide feedback on the brand and their experience with it" (Adkins). They share vibrant images with their followers that spark engagement and build relationships. Just take a look for yourself:

 

    Engaging, right? There is another digital tool that Starbucks utilizes quite well-- the mobile app. I am a frequent user of the mobile app, as I find it a quick and efficient way to get my drink (contactless!). The mobile app was released in 2011, and ever since it has been providing service through offering an easy access point to pay for drinks, as well as a rewards program for its loyal followers (Adkins). This digital technology has increased favoritism from its users through communication, guiltily speaking as utilizing this technology has become part of my daily routine.

References:

Adkins, A. (n.p.) Starbucks & Its Use of Technology. Chron. Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/starbucks-its-use-technology-28272.html

Albagli, D. (2015). Starbucks: Embracing Technology Holistically at Your Nearest Coffee House. Harvard Business School Digital Initiative. Retrieved from: https://www.hbs.edu/openforum/openforum.hbs.org/goto/challenge/understand-digital-transformation-of-business/starbucks-embracing-technology-holistically-at-your-nearest-coffee-house.html 

Segran, E. (2019). Forget the Tech Bubble. Craft Coffee is the Next Boom Industry. Fast Company. Retrieved from: https://www.fastcompany.com/90419801/forget-the-tech-bubble-craft-coffee-is-the-next-boom-industry

Starbucks. (2020). @Starbucks. Instagram.