Page 204 - Foundations of Marketing

Consumer Buying Behavior | Chapter 6 171

2. Determine the evaluative criteria that your target 4. Identify the reference groups or subcultures that may
market(s) would use when choosing between alternative influence your target market’s product selection.
brands.
The information obtained from these questions should assist
3. Using Table 6.2 , what types of family decision making,
you in developing various aspects of your marketing plan.
if any, would your target market(s) use?
Develop your marketing plan online using the Interactive
Marketing Plan at www.cengagebrain.com.

Starbucks Refines the Customer Experience

Starbucks—the Seattle-based company that popularized its first Evolution Fresh store in Bellevue, Washington. On
the “coffee culture”—is brewing up higher sales through the menu are all-natural, freshly blended drinks from nutri-
new beverages and new cafés in global markets. A stop at tious fruits and vegetables, plus salads and wraps. Over time,
Starbucks has become part of many consumers’ daily rou- Starbucks is adding Evolution Fresh drinks to the menu in
tines. Some are attracted by the high-quality, brewed-to-order all of its cafés and opening additional Evolution Fresh stores
coffees, while others look forward to relaxing and socializing on the East and West Coasts. Although expanding into fresh
in the “third place” between home and work. juices means competing with Jamba Juice and other rivals,
Starbucks has researched and refined every aspect of the Starbucks is relying on its brand-building expertise to juice
customer experience, from the size of its coffees (“tall” is up this part of its business.
actually “small”) to the number of minutes that customers Taking note of consumer interest in energy drinks, which
spend waiting in line. To speed up purchases, it offers a pay- has blossomed into an $8 billion market, Starbucks has also
by-cell phone option called “mobile pay.” Consumers with launched Starbucks Refreshers, a line of carbonated drinks
iPhone or Android cell phones simply download the app and with more than half the caffeine content of an espresso shot.
let cashiers scan the Starbucks code on the screen during Available in supermarkets and in Starbucks cafés, these all-
checkout. The app links to the customer’s Starbucks Card, natural drinks combine green, unroasted coffee with fruit
which combines the rewards of a loyalty program with the juices for a fruity, non-coffee flavor. To gain significant
convenience of a prepaid card for making purchases. Mobile market share, Starbucks must battle Red Bull, Rockstar, and
pay is a big hit: in its first 15 months, customers used their cell other well-known marketers of energy drinks.
phones to make more than 42 million payments to Starbucks. Starbucks also believes in social responsibility. It offers
Well established in the intensely competitive U.S. market, health-insurance benefits to both part-time and full-time
Starbucks is growing much more quickly in Asian markets. employees and donates generously to community projects. It
The company will soon have 1,500 cafés and 30,000 employ- also protects the environment by recycling in every café and
ees in China, where consumers drink, on average, just three constructing buildings designed to save energy and water.
cups of coffee every year. By opening in more locations and Finally, the company follows ethical purchasing practices to
encouraging consumers to bring their friends for coffee and ensure that coffee growers get a fair price for their premium
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conversation, Starbucks aims to increase demand and boost beans.
sales throughout China. In Japan, where Starbucks now has
more than 1,000 cafés, consumers have long enjoyed the tra- Questions for Discussion
dition of meeting in neighborhood coffee shops. 1. In terms of situational influences and level of involve-
Through market research, Starbucks stays in touch with ment, what are the benefits of mobile pay?
what its customers like and what their lifestyles are like. 2. With Evolution Fresh, which psychological influences
Coffee lovers are still buying their espressos or lattes, but on consumer buying decisions does Starbucks seem to
they’re also “looking for a healthier lifestyle,” says a Starbucks be addressing?
executive. In response to this trend, the company bought 3. Why would Starbucks want customers to know that it
Evolution Fresh, which makes premium juices, and opened believes in social responsibility?

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