Email Marketing Case Study: Share Joy with Starbucks

As a total Starbucks addict (don't believe me? Check out my last blog post!), I am part of a twenty-something subculture that thrives on new and seasonal Starbucks drinks. Needless to say, when Christmas rolls around, myself and many other coffee junkies are thrilled by the latest drinks, snacks, and decorations that flood Starbucks' nationwide. When Starbucks decides to introduce a promotional campaign, it basically sends the Starbucks obsessed into a caffeine-induced spiral.

A few days ago, I received an email advertising the Starbucks Share Joy campaign. The concept behind the promotion: between November 13th and 17th, consumers will receive two handcrafted holiday beverages for the price of one, including the Gingerbread Latte, the Caramel Brulee Latte, and the Peppermint Latte.

The email also contained other seasonal offerings:

How to share your fabulous #redcup on Instagram,

Information on the seasonal Christmas Blend.

Details on holiday treats (#OmgYumCranberryBlissBar).

How to send holiday egifts,

Info about the Verisimo coffee system,

And how to receive text updates about holiday deals!

The target of the email campaign is Loyalty Card Members, as these wonderful emails are sent to only them. Starbucks loyalty membership has two tiers: green, which can be obtained after purchasing 5 Starbucks drinks on a card, or gold, which is achieved by gaining 30+ stars per year on a card.

The primary Starbucks purchasers are upper-middle class men and women aged 25-45, but the loyalty program skews slightly younger (18-45). This may be due to the more modern concept of a loyalty program and the mobile integration, which comes naturally to a younger demographic.

Starbucks, being a competent and established company, easily follows Constant Contact's guidelines for effective email marketing. However, most notably, Starbucks excels with #3: send relevant content that has value for recipients. Since they are only sending these emails to people in the loyalty program, there is a high chance that these people have been waiting patiently for Starbucks' seasonal drinks and will take advantage of the promotion.

Another way in which Starbucks' email marketing campaign is effective is their ability to drive referrals. The buy one, get one free campaign will drive in repeat users, but there is an increased chance that those people will bring in non-Starbucks drinkers. After they enjoy a fantastic seasonal beverage, there is a chance they will return to the store on their own time.

Also, one of the most difficult aspects of a digital campaign is an effective email title. Starbucks manages to attract consumers through clever, yet concise language.

Overall, Starbucks has excelled at turning an often annoying, intrusive marketing tactic into an opportunity to share their product with their most loyal consumers.