Smartphone users were drawn into locations across the country to earn their e-gifts.
Starbucks brought in a new 12 Star Dash mobile marketing promotion that used points incentives to encourage coffee drinkers to download and use its app in order to earn e-gifts.
The promotion was highly popular and ran from August 27 right through September 9.
Throughout the promotion, Starbucks customers entered into a race to attempt to ear twelve stars within the designated promotion period. When enough stars were accumulated, they received a $5 digital gift. In order to obtain enough points, consumers were required to purchase 12 beverages within a span of as many days.
Smartphone users that took part in the mobile marketing campaign found it highly rewarding.
Though the reward was not a large one, for people who would already be purchasing coffee and other drinks at their favorite Starbucks locations, it was incentive enough to purchase one or two more to make sure that they received the additional stores. For those who purchase coffee only on work days, it appears that many took the opportunity to purchase a few more in order to be able to receive the reward that would give them free product.
The mobile marketing promotion didn’t necessarily bring in a large number of consumers who weren’t already purchasing coffee from the store’s locations, as it was a relatively small reward for a significant amount of purchasing and effort (for a consumer who doesn’t usually shop there). But for customers who were already headed to the location for their purchases, they were often willing to go that extra mile for the reward they could receive.
In order to participate, consumers had to complete a basic registration. This allowed them to be able to collect and track their accumulated points. Throughout the length of the campaign, they could make a purchase using either a Starbucks Card that had been registered, or they could use the smartphone app at the point of sale.
Loyal customers felt rewarded for their business and appreciated by this mobile marketing campaign. Furthermore, this helped to spread the word about the mcommerce aspect of Starbucks, including the app and the ability to make payments using a smartphone or tablet computer.