Why You See the Starbucks Logo All Over Social Media

    Everyone uses social media for different purposes. Users share content, feelings, and memories with friends and loved ones. For brands, it’s all about campaigns, online visibility, and engagement. You recognize some of them and even like their pages and posts. They make you smile, answer unspoken questions and also get you some prizes. Others remain neglected or unseen. The Starbucks logo stands proudly in the first category.

    We all have friends who go to work or travel and pass through a Starbucks coffee shop. They then let social media know by posting pictures holding Starbucks cups. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+ contain plenty of such photos which gather likes and comments. Sometimes, it seems like social media is split between Starbucks and everyone else. Yet, how could a coffee brand raise so many reactions? Here’s a marketing explanation of why you keep seeing the Starbucks logo all over social media networks for such a long time.

    It All Begins with the Starbucks Logo

    Starbucks was founded in 1971 as a small Seattle coffee shop following the Italian tradition. The inception of the logo occurred in the same year after the brand’s founders saw a two-tailed siren in an old navy book. The logo has gone through three versions ever since. Before imagining what makes the Starbucks logo so unique, you can check out more details about its history and evolution.

    The first version of the Starbucks logo featured a detailed drawing of the siren which included her bare breasts. After 16 years, the emblem simplified. Moreover, in 1992 it got to a close-up version of the drawing. It was only in 2011 when the visual branding element lost its text and acknowledged its achievements. Starbucks accomplished brand recognition around the world.

    Starbuck’s Presence on Social Media

    The brand is active on many social media networks and gathers millions of fans and followers. Here are the stats:

    • Facebook: 37.1 million followers.
    • Instagram: 17.5 million followers.
    • Twitter: 11.9 million followers.
    • Google+: 4.8 million followers.
    • YouTube: 168k subscribers.
    • Pinterest: 341k followers.

    Before we continue, remember that not everyone uses all the above networks, so it’s difficult to determine a total number of followers the brand has really. They also have pages relating to campaign and different initiatives.

    Starbuck’s Social Media Strategy

    The coffee shop is a pioneer in social media. The brand continuously experiments and dedicates a significant budget to online marketing. Starbucks has a social media strategy which focuses on:

    • Its USP (unique selling proposition) or focus on the benefits of their products. Other said, it’s not about coffee, but by drinking and sharing it with friends. A coffee during winter is refreshing and comforting.
    • Building campaigns are surrounding each product. Does the Unicorn Frappuccino sound familiar? It’s a super-sugary white-and-pink drink that was so different from others from the brand’s portfolio. Then, there are the constant promotions and discounts regarding having breakfast over the coffee shop.
    • Content is relatable. As many experts say, the brand’s social media pages almost look like your own profile. The content is colorful, based on triggering feelings rather than reactions and relatable. The brand’s pages almost look like it ages so gracefully that it keeps getting young.
    • Photos focus on the customer. We already know that almost anything can be personalized on the Starbucks cup. While the products themselves cover this aspect, Starbuck’s logo on social media is put on a context which generates feelings.
    • There’s brand consistency. You will rarely see Starbucks showing its logo as a watermark or in another form than on the coffee cup. The brand follows its own guidelines and provides users with a consistent message that they readily recognize.

    Some Successful Starbucks Logo Campaigns

    According to a neuroscience study, customers respond easier to printed physical products rather than digital call-outs. If we consider Starbuck’s evolution, the brand has managed to contradict science with its initiatives.

    By following the above characteristics, Starbucks crossed the boundaries between brand content and branded content. It now generates some free of charge content from users who are satisfied with its products. The customer service team is active on Twitter and come up with quick responses. Here are some of the most successful digital initiatives you might just have heard of.

    • The brand decided to celebrate the enjoyment of warm coffee during winter in2013. It sponsored its ads and posts which became visible to those who looked for weather-related hashtags. The real-time advertising campaign was successful and even included searches such as #Nemo or #blizzard.
    • Tweet-a-Coffee was a realistically put campaign that supported the brand’s #shareacoffee initiative. Users could tweet a $5 voucher to anyone who deserved a coffee. Over 27,000 users tweeted a coffee, and the brand won around $180,000 worth of products.  
    • Starbucks was among the first brands which tried out Facebook hashtags. The brand promoted a new product in 2011 using the #TreatReceipt. However, since it was summer, the brand also used #heatwave to connect its products to warm weather discussions.
    • #MeetMeatStarbucks was a campaign to gather friends to drink coffee in the shop. It triggered reaction thanks to a new storytelling hashtag, #HowWeMet.
    • Charity is not forgotten. Starbucks collaborates with RED, Catalyst, American Red Cross, and many other organizations.

    Using the Starbucks Logo on Social Media

    Starbucks also works with influencers to provide even more visibility to its brand and products. However, regardless of how we put it, Starbucks is visible all around the world. While the brand’s logo involves no remaining text, the Starbucks pages choose to communicate through hashtags and photos.

    The brand pioneers every new social media network or option that might appear. Starbucks also uses initiatives such as customer-focused or real-time marketing. The tiny coffee shop turned into an international chain which gets involved in its customer’s lives. There are high chances that you will continue to see the Starbucks logo as promoted by the brand or other users. Until then, you can discover even more of what makes this innovating brand stand out!

    Images Source: Depositphotos.com.

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    • Tom La Vecchia

      Founder of New Theory & X Factor Media

      Founder and Publisher of New Theory Magazine and Podcast. Serial Entrepreneur who loves wine, cigars and anything that allows to people to connect and share experiences.

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