Social Media Monitoring Presentation: Part 2

Back For Seconds: The Starbucks Affogato Menu


Let's Review

Starbucks Affogato Menu

Okay, so recently Starbucks unveiled a limited release of their Affogato Menu, a selection of three caffeine-packed beverages based off of the Italian treat Affogato. The first phase of the roll-out were 10 locations in D.C, Boston, NYC, and Los Angeles, and second was 100 locations in California's coveted Orange County.

It's All About the Consumer

Given that Starbucks caters largely to urbanites and white collard folk belonging to the middle and upper class, the price tag of their tantalizing new treats ($6.00 to $8.50) and the chosen locations come as no surprise.

Now what about the campaign? Well, we know that Starbucks has a history with leveraging the groundswell to help their bottom line. The company is notorious for utilizing social media to energize constituents. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram: Starbucks consistently utilizes these platforms to listen to, talk to, and engage with their consumers, and to nurture word-of-mouth advertisement. Furthermore, Starbucks chosen method of marketing perfectly aligns with their customer base.

1. Men and women ages 18 to 24 = 40% (with a 4.6% growth yearly)
2. Men and women ages 25 to 40 = 49% (with a 3% growth yearly)

There Is No Time Like The Present: The Campaign Today 

Social Mention

Snapshots taken on  Sunday 3/12, Wednesday 3/15, and Friday 3/17

  Sunday 3/12                                                                                                 Wednesday 3/15

                       

   

  Friday 3/17                                                                              

What We See:

These snapshots depict that the campaign is leveling off, becoming more stabilized then prior. The reach has gone down and strength has gone down, but the passion has increased, and sentiment has found its niche. However, seeing as this was a limited release of a new menu, these numbers are not too disappointing. 

Thinking back to the points brought up previously, this is a menu of bourgeois specialty beverages we are talking about. So, a really revved-up cult like following is hard to come by. Moreover, the beverage menu was released in areas that are still seeing winter weather-- which could have certainly taken some of the appeal away from the ice cream based drink.

                                                                                                                                                               

Google Trends

Snapshots taken on 3/15

Below we see two graphs: The first represents interest over the past 12 months, and the later represents the past 30 days. The multiple spikes and plunges show that the Affogato Menu is still finding its place on the Starbucks menu in terms of consumer interest. However, for specialty menu items, its current standing isn't too shabby--most of the peaks are over 25% interest.

Lastly, we have a map depicting the areas most interested in the past 30 days:

This map looks very similar to the two depicted in part one. The same states are registering on the map, solidifying those states heightened interest in the product in comparison to other states. However, while this map supports the company's decision to make the menu most prominent in California, it does not show much support for their decision to bring the menu to D.C, and Boston. 

Breaking It Down: SWOT

Strengths:

1. Starbucks stayed true to the power of the groundswell in primarily using viral marketing.
2. Talking to the groundswell: The company produced tons of viral videos and clips for the initial campaign that really spoke to their target constituents. These videos and pictures then worked double time for the company when they did round two, the current extended release.
3. The coverage and excitement of larger media outlets (From People Magazine to bloggers like Perez Hilton) was a great component, and helped to support and encourage re-posting, re-tweeting, and re-blogging of marketing material.
4. Listening to the groundswell: The company also clearly understood that a customer's comments outweigh a company's streamlined posts, letting their constituents speak and energize themselves.  

Weaknesses:

1. Supporting the groundswell: Starbucks may have been too quiet on their most active social  media accounts (*cough* Twitter) for the recent extended release. If they had published more photos, posts, and videos they would have given the groundswell more to feed off of, thusly providing more support for word-of-mouth marketing.
2. Starbucks should have engaged more with customers for the second release on  Facebook and Twitter. While they spoke through media posts, they lacked direct communication to customers creating the energy on their accounts. Generating a conversation could have also helped energize the groundswell.         

Opportunities:                    

1. Embracing the groundswell: Starbucks actually has a Twitter account solely for customer feedback and ideas (@mystarbucksidea), they should use this for customer ideas regarding how to shape/refine the menu or perhaps where to bring the menu next.
2. Double down: Starbucks customers LOVE social media. So the company should play up on that to the max. Make a contest for the most artsy Insta post of their Affogato and those young hipster urbanites will go nuts.
3. Show your good side: Starbucks is known for their involvement in global initiatives centered on humanitarian efforts. The company should play that up with the menu. Either give back in the cost or in how the product is made, and make sure the customers know about it.

Threats: 

1. Barista nation is alive and right on the heels of Starbucks: Small cafes all around tout similar specialty Affogato treats and are also well equipped with social media. What makes matters worse is that they are massive magnets for young urbanite adults, which accounts for almost half of their target market. 
2. The other big dogs: Anytime Starbucks makes a move, other leading big-name competitors are quick to follow--usually with something extremely similar, but with a cheaper price tag. So, Starbucks needs to utilize its market to set their product apart from their rivals.
3. Seasonality: Should the ice cream based product be avalible year round?

Looking To The Future: Setting Goals

The goal is simple: energize, energize, energize. Starbucks has an incredible social media following. They need to continually capitalize on that. What does that mean? REVV IT UP. 

1. Give constituents new material, or challenge them through a contest to showcase their own.
2. The company needs to bring their own voice back through personal conversations/responses to consumers.
3. In an endless sea of competition, Starbucks needs to remind consumers why they should only crave their products. It is time to throw a few punches.

Reading Reflection #3

Listen and Speak: Hearing Out the Groundswell and Talking Back With Twitter


From previous chapters in the Groundswell, we learned how important Twitter is for companies in engaging with the groundswell. That is no surprise since Twitter is a HUGE player on the social media scene and has some clear benefits, such as:

Clearly, Twitter is in a league all its own when it comes to a social media power play. However, like most things in life, the power of Twitter comes from what you do with it: listening to it and talking through it. These are two of the five groundswell objectives, and their close partnership enables the other three objectives (supporting with Twitter, embracing with Twitter, and energizing with Twitter) to come to fruition.

Okay, but let's break this down. By listening, we mean of course monitoring. Companies need to do their best to keep abs on what their constituents are saying. What is trending? Is one particular person or group stirring up  the most action (whether positive or negative)? Depending on the size of the company--and the energy of the groundswell-- a company may need an army to keep track of their Twitter feed (which can be aided by technological listening tools) or just a few employees doing a daily scroll-through.

As we all know, Twitter is meant to facilitate conversation. So, with listening must come response. Cue the next part of engagement: talking with Twitter. Now, we don't just mean any type of input. No way! The way a company responds to what they read (ahem, listen to) is very important. Why? Well the whole point of a company using Twitter--the real end goal-- is to energize the groundswell, and you can only support, embrace, and energize the groundswell with what (and how) you give back to it.

Okay, so what is a good example of how a company should talk back to their followers, their consumers? Well, Jet Blue is one such example.

Jet Blue has been known for their incredible commitment to engaging with customers through social media, and with 1,500 to 1,600 mentions of the company daily on platforms such as Twitter it is clear that the company is committed to utilizing social media as a way to both listen and talk to their consumers. What is their over-all goal for their engagement with social media? Well, the company is all about framing their social media conversations to make it feel more like two neighbors talking, thusly making the experience personal: "Jet Blue's social media goal is for a truly organic experience, people talking to people".

How do they do this? Well, Jet Blue first sees Twitter as a customer service platform. They listen to what their 1.7 million followers are Tweeting about and then they talk to their consumers, quickly handling questions, complaints, or applauding compliments. For them its all about speed and depth of response:

 They do not stop there though! Jet Blue also keeps followers interested by recognizing trends and posting about discount trips, promotions, or even travel ideas and tips.

What do you think about how Jet Blue uses Twitter? What other companies that you know are pros at talking back to customers?

Social Media Monitoring Presentation: Part 1

When Ice Cream Met Coffee: The Starbucks Affogato Menu

The Product

Founded in Seattle, Washington in 1971 the Starbucks we have come to know today has found its niche as an upper-class coffee chain, most recognized for a European café vibe and its artisanal bold specialty brews. With 23,768 establishments world-wide, the chain has been a consistent front-runner in the industry. So, what if I told you that the third-most admired company in the world  is going to show its American stores just how sweet it can be? 

**Barista slowly pours espresso over small-batch ice cream drenched in caramel**

This is going to be good.

In the need for a sweet treat that also happens to deliver the energy-packed punch of espresso? Well the Seattle-based, coffeehouse is preparing the ultimate answer to that craving: an entire menu bursting with various ice cream and esspresse Affogato inspired treats.

What is the Italian desert Affogato, exactly? Well sit back, relax, and prepare to drool:



Starbucks Traditional Affogato

Starved for more? In addition to this beauty, the menu contains 2 other main items (priced from $6.00 to $8.50) to sip (or chug) on.

The Cold Brew Float and (drum roll please) the Cold Brew Malted Milkshake:





Initially unveiled at their flagship Seattle Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in June 2016, the success of the Affogato has caused the coffee giant to test the hybrid beverage on a larger scale. First, starting February 15th, the company brought the Affogato Menu to 10 other Reserve locations in Los Angeles, Boston, NYC, and Washington D.C. Then, in the following next couple months, the coffee giant is bringing the menu to 100 other traditional Starbucks locations around Orange County California.

Okay, so introducing an ice cream beverage as a coffee retailer is a big play, right? How exactly is Starbucks drumming up excitement for their new roll-out? Well, have you ever seen a Starbucks billboard? Newspaper add? Commercial? More than not the answer will be "no, not in a while". Why? Well, Starbucks is notorious for ditching traditional marketing techniques for their use of viral marketing and their focus on word-of-mouth brand marketing. That's right, Starbucks is a HUGE proponent of engaging with, and listening to, the groundswell--thusly letting their customers peddle their products for them. Their social media imprint is clear (early 2015):

Keeping a heavy presence on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook has allowed the company to continually cultivate relationships, purify customer experiences, and promote brand loyalty for their products. Want to know why a marketing  strategy so heavily focused on social media has been effective for the company? Well, the answer to that is in defining the company's target market. The majority of the customer base for Starbucks comes from two main groups, both very active on social media:

1. Men and women ages 25 to 40- 49% (with a 3% growth yearly)
2. Men and women ages 18 to 24 - 40% (with 4.6% growth yearly)

Furthermore, both groups are largely characterized by being white collar urbanites and belonging to the middle or upper class. Not surprising, since their products do carry a heavier price tag in comparison to their competitors:

So, knowing the target consumer base, how is the company's social media marketing strategy working for the expanded release of the Affogato Menu? Let's look at the two platforms of Facebook and Twitter.

Twitter

In analyzing how Starbucks has plugged the Affogato Menu, it is clear that Starbucks has followed its classic word-of mouth strategy in their viral marketing. As stated earlier, the Affogato Menu was initially released in the summer of 2016. For that initial release, the company utilized Twitter as a platform to drum-up excitement, posting many videos, pictures, and encouraging comments from followers:



First of all, the warm candor is extremely noticeable, as is the excitement. Additionally, did you notice that the examples didn't seem to have that many likes and retweets? Isn't this bad? Doesn't the amount of retweets equate to how the post is perceived or its reach? Not necessarily...  it was clear that the company was banking on sheer volume of their posts (coupled with their large following base) to expand the reach and of their campaign and fire power of their product.

Okay, so let's fast-forward to how Starbucks has addressed the February expanded release of the Affogato Menu. They kept producing videos and staged pictures of the products right? Wrong. This is the part where the company stepped back and let word-of-mouth take the reins on the viral platform.

The company did have groups tweeting about their excitement for the menu, but it was clear that the energy seen initially had not totally carried over. Furthermore, the tweets were mainly from media outlets and Twitter groups-- not the average Joe. The company itself, known for their volume and consistency of posts, also seemed mysteriously quiet. Why? Starbucks usually uses social media to set their product for take-off. Just scrolling through their feed you can usually feel the energy of the groundswell. It is this energy that also promotes a type of trust with the company's products that only word of mouth can create. I mean of course a company will say their product is the best, but when real people do it... well now we are listening.

Yet, this wasn't happening. Had someone dropped the ball or is this all part of a bigger scheme? This is a limited expanded release of the Affogato Menu-a test so to speak So, even though the Affogato had initially succeeded in the high-end flagship store, the company may be trying to get a feel for how their more average customer will react prior to full-throttle plugging. Or, they may also be trying in vain to let their customers do their promotion, and since the release started on February 15th-- Starbucks could just be waiting for the swell to start once the product takes hold.

Hmm... Let's see how the campaign went on Facebook, and then look at the campaigns impact using some analytical tools. 

Facebook 

Searching for responses to their past and current Affogato roll-out proved to yield much different results from Twitter. First of all, like Twitter, there were a lot of posts from the company concerning the summer roll-out, like the one below:

This post was very similar to the host of Facebook posts announcing the initial Affogato Menu--- the numbers for comments, likes, sharing, were dynamite. Now, in cutting back to present day, Facebook clearly out-shown Twitter on the coverage coming from both constituents and media outlets. Not only was the volume of responses back, but the energy and positivity was back as well.

Although most posts were mainly from the day before or of the release, the posts have continued to this day. Yet again, while the likes, shares, and comments aren't as high--the volume of posts were. As depicted, Starbucks itself did not need to do any work in directly engaging with the customers--the groundswell did all the plugging. Just reading the posts, again the excitement over the beverage is loud and clear.

Did Starbucks have its hand in influencing the posts from the larger media outlets (like People Magazine and Fox News)? We may never know, and it doesn't even matter. What matters is that the groundswell is actively reacting with overwhelming positivity. 

Now that we have looked at Facebook and twitter, let's look at the imprint of the campaign using some analytical tools.

Let's Get Analytical

Social Mention

First, let's take a look at Social Mention. Below, are screenshots from Wednesday 2/8, Friday 2/17, and Monday 2/20.

   Wednesday:                                                                                 Friday:

                                                         

                           

    Monday:                                                     

What We See:

 First of all, the strength of the product is going down at a startling rate. This could mean that the role-out has been lack-luster, or since the role-out was 2/15/17, it could also mean that consumers have not had a chance to become hooked yet. Also, unlike, say technology, the food industry may not get immediate and vast attention from new products-- the craze factor may not be as applicable as, say a new iPhone.

Sentiment is also lackluster, with neutral feelings toward the product hugely outweighing both positive and negative feelings. Could this again tie into the newness of the product?

It is also interesting that while passion is low, reach is high. So, while the product is getting coverage, there isn't an "obsessed" mentality. Again, this could certainly be related to the fact that this is a food product (a higher-end food product). Are people apt to go wild over a beverage like they would over a new piece of technology? 

Can food and beverage companies really generate that much excitement? I mean, I    can see posting about a beverage once.  But how many times can you post about a drink?

Lastly, we should not forget that the product has come out in the winter to places like Boston, NYC, and Washington D.C. The cold weather could have also had an impact on the performance of a menu that is based off of a traditional summer treat.

Google Trends

Snapshots taken on February 18th.

Interest over 1 year. This graph shows that there was a huge spike in July and the summer months, dropping down in the fall. Then another spike in February. The graph ends on February 18th 2017, do you think the interest will hold or be short lived?

Below, we first see interest over the past 12 months compared with interest in the past 30 days.

   

















                                

Since the roll-out is occurring in California (100 Cali. locations will carry the menu) it is no wonder why that state is in the lead. New York will also see the product, but D.C., and MA aren't listed.Texas, and Florida are perhaps registering since they are warmer areas. However, Illinois is an anomaly. It leaves one to wonder if Starbucks should have skipped MA and D.C. in exchange for one of the states listed...

Meltwater Icerocket

Snapshots taken February 20th

Representing blog coverage, the graph and statistics below show two main things.

The first is that the blogosphere's coverage of the drink was extremely minimal. The low numbers are a bit surprising because Starbucks is a HUGE company, so you would have thought that coverage would have at least reached double digits. However, we have to remember that this is a limited release- a very small number of Starbucks are receiving the menu. So, it is most likely not on everyone's radar, or, blogs may have chosen not to cover it if their neighborhood Starbucks wasn't receiving the menu.

Secondly, the peak we saw on Google Trends in February also occurred on the blogosphere. However, this time it was short lived, dove down, and then began to increase again. The first spike could be a nod to the initial excitement over the release, and then the second to the covering/review of the product itself.

The Last Sip

Okay, so how has this campaign played out? Let's breakdown the positives and negatives of the campaign.

The positives:

1.  Starbucks stayed true to the power of the groundswell in primarily utilizing viral marketing.
2.  The company produced tons of viral videos and clips for the initial campaign that were then re-used mostly on Facebook for the current release of the Affogato Menu. The videos even still felt fresh.

3.    The coverage and excitement of larger media outlets (From People Magazine to bloggers like Perez Hilton) was a great component.

4.    The company also clearly understood that a customer's comments outweigh a company's streamlined posts.  

The negatives:

1.    Starbucks may have been too quiet on social media (*cough* Twitter) for the recent release. If they had published more posts, pictures, and videos they would have given the groundswell a stronger second wind and would have still been able to maintain the word-of-mouth marketing stance.

2.     Starbucks should have engaged more with customers for the second release on Facebook and Twitter. Generating a conversation could have also increased the groundswell energy.

Given that this product is certainly seen to be on the exclusive side, it will be most interesting to see how the success carries over to the average Starbucks. What do you think? Will the Affogato Menu successfully make the transition?