The company is getting ready to launch a new marketing campaign that will send a message that the Seattle giant isn’t gonna take it anymore.

Drink Starbucks coffee. Or else.

That seems to be the message the company is prepared to send as they launch a bold new marketing campaign this month. With slogans like, “Beware of cheaper coffee, it comes with a price” and “Starbucks or nothing. Because compromise leaves a really bad aftertaste,” it’s an in-your-face approach that will get a multi-pronged treatment with both print ads and television time.

The tagline? “It’s not just coffee. It’s Starbucks.” Tell us about it.

Well, apparently that’s just what the brand is trying to do with this campaign.

“Lots of companies small and large have kind of gone to school on us, telling their story at the expense of Starbucks’,” company CEO Howard Schultz said in a video posted on the company’s website aimed at explaining just what the deal is to their stockholders. “The time has come for Starbucks to tell its story.”

He admits in the video that some of the verbiage, such as “if your coffee isn’t perfect, we’ll make it over. If it’s still not perfect, make sure you’re in a Starbucks”, is a bit tongue in cheek, but the over-arching message seems to be one of frustration.

A mixed message

As Schultz said, many of the company’s competitors have launched similar campaigns that poke fun at Starbucks’ prices (McDonald’s) and their special names for their cup sizes (Dunkin’ Donuts). In a year when Starbucks rolled out new breakfast sandwich combinations, a line of instant coffee packets, and a customer loyalty program, this feels like their way of saying they’ve had it with the kindler, gentler approach.

The question now remains, will it work?

I’ll be honest. I really find myself struggling to figure out what exactly Starbucks is trying to say this time. I fail to see how these messages “tell the story.” What is that story? “Buy our coffee, or else we’ll slink into a corner and sulk?” Or maybe, “We don’t have a manic, red-haired clown as our mascot. Isn’t that reason enough to drink coffee here?” And if the “don’t buy cheap coffee” message is aimed at encouraging customers to drink fair trade, it’s not like there aren’t dozens of other options out there to do that.

Obviously I spend a lot of time around news from the coffee industry and the Starbucks vs. the world saga has been the coffee industry story of the last year. But since this one has even me confused, I have to wonder how Joe Coffeedrinker will take this ad campaign. If it’s like everything else Starbucks has trotted out in the last year, it will probably be met with a shrug while consumers continue to spend their hard-earned dollars elsewhere.

No Comments »