Ch. 18 Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

Starbucks doesn't adhere to the norm when it comes to promotions. They don't use coupons, rebates, premiums, loyal marketing programs, contests, sweepstakes, point-of-purchase promotion, or online sales promotions. Sometimes in select store locations they will have samples of things. It is very rare when you find that though. Its most likely around the time that they are introducing a new products

They do fall under the advertising and sales promotion category. They do not do personal selling though, you could say they take part in relationship selling because they work on a more personal level with their customers.

Most of Starbucks promotions. when they do them, are geared toward environmental aid. They gave away thermos's and traded them for your cup of coffee and they take ten cents off your coffee if you reuse a cup or bring your own to help fight against pollution.

Starbucks sales promotions are different in that they don't fall into the normal categories. This has yet to show any negative effects on them as a company.

Ch. 10 Product Concept

The Starbucks brand is what keeps this product selling. This company has a brand loyalty, "a consistent preference for one brand over all others". Their logo is known by most people and is a symbol that represents their product. People will buy it because it is a brand that is trusted.

The Starbucks logo is so well known these days that, since its new face lift, it doesn't even need the name attached to it. 

I believe that Starbucks falls under 'convenience product'. It is a convenient product, not only because they are very easy stores to come by, but because it fits the definition that says "a relatively inexpensive item that merits little shopping effort - that is, a consumer is unwilling to shop extensively for such an item". This is absolutely true for Starbucks products. Though it is a high quality and popular coffeehouse, its main selling point is how convenient it is for consumers.

Starbucks different product lines continue to grow with the passing of time. Just recently they released a new kind of coffee that is a Blonde roast. This is the latest addition to their product line of whole bean coffees. Their product mix ranges from different beverage lines to different food lines, even; all of the merchandise they sell would be in its own product line within the product mix. 

Like any company, Starbucks would be no where without their products. Their base for success is their product concept. And this concept is working for them as they are the leading producer in that field. 

Ch. 17 Advertising and Public Relations

Starbucks has never been a place to rely on advertising to get their customers to keep coming back time and time again. This company primarily use a free outlet to get the word out about their product; word of mouth. Their commercials range from the comedic to the informative. A lot of the time their advertisements aren't only about their product but about a cause that they are promoting. Starbucks is all about not limiting themselves to just being a coffee house. They are so much more than that. They inform people of this through their advertising techniques. 

Starbucks uses advertising on a personal level to connect with their consumer and to make them feel like a part of something. Whether it be that they are making them laugh with their quirky sing-song commercials or that they are showing them how in touch they are with the world; Starbucks uses advertising, not just to enhance business, but to show how they always think of the customers wants and needs first.

Ch. 15 - Retailing

Starbucks is by far the largest coffeehouse chain. They have over seventeen thousand locations world wide, three-fourths of which are located in the United States. These chain stores provide a very specific service to their customer. They are considered specialty stores, falling into the definition saying, "specializing in a given type of merchandise", paying close "attention to the customer and limited product line."

You can tell by the atmosphere of any one of these coffee locations that, as a successful company, they pay close attention to the retailing mix. They continue to produce top-notch merchandise for their guests, their are many locations in a given area giving the consumer options, they continue to come up with more promotional tools such as different mobile applications, Starbucks stays in an affordable price range for all different financial groups to enjoy, all the store locations are kept clean and the atmosphere is comforting and homey, and on top of it all you are always treated with kindness on a personal leave from the employees. Starbucks makes a special effort to reach out to its target market and then some.

In an effort to integrate new developments in their retailing strategy Starbucks is using both interactivity and m-commerce as techniques. Over the summer they launched the build your own frappuccino special, getting their consumer involved in their coffee addiction. As far as m-commerce goes Starbucks has an application for all of the major smart phones on the market. With this "app" you are able to find Starbucks locations, see your favorite drink and its nutrition facts and cost, manage your Starbucks card, and also send virtual gifts to your friends via email. 

Starbucks continues to stay on top of their retail strategy, making them extremely successful in everything they do. 

Ch. 6 - Consumer Decision Making

When it comes to making a decision as far as Starbucks is concerned it is pretty obvious that their product is more of a want than a need. Some people may believe they "need" coffee to get through the day, but it is definitely a luxury item.

This thought is what has made and continues to make Starbucks a success. They rely on both non-marketing and marketing-controlled information sources to prompt the sale of their products. Word of mouth is the main way they do their marketing and is what employs costumers to make their decision whether or not to purchase from them.

The information they've gathered also helps them to make a decision on whether to go to another brand or not. That is why it is important to get across a happy and healthy image that will entice the customer to continue to be devoted to the brand. Starbucks does a great job of prompting a comfortable environment for their guests to enjoy everything they have to offer.

Although Starbucks is not a necessity in every culture they have done a brilliant job at expanding and remaining most consumers first and only choice for coffee beverages and other goodies.