The Starbucks Approach to Marketing Your Product

By Suzanne Richardson
"Who sells more coffee - the mom and pop cafe down the block? Or Starbucks?" Copywriting expert James Sheridan asked that question at ETR's recent [2007] Info Marketing Bootcamp. Over 200 voices chorused "Starbucks!"

The answer to James' question may have been obvious. But the reason Starbucks is so successful is a "secret" every marketer should know.

"The temptation is to focus on the product with your advertising," said James. "If your product is a currency trading service, for example, your temptation might be to talk about the currency market. But that's wrong."

James went on to say that you don't want to give your customers what they need. Instead, you should give them what they want. "If you're selling a currency trading service," he said, "you're not in the investment advisory business. You're in the business of making people money."

That's why Starbucks is so successful. They're not selling coffee.

Think about it: The difference between a cup of Starbucks coffee and a cup of coffee from the mom and pop cafe across the street is negligible. What sets Starbucks apart is a stellar concept: the Starbucks experience.

The mom and pop cafe only gives you coffee. There's no concept involved. And people don't really NEED another cup of coffee.

But they do WANT friends, a sense of community, even the feeling that they're hip.

So millions of people are happy to pay $4 and up for Starbucks coffee. At Starbucks, they can mingle with cool artists, smart techies, and urbane hipsters in a laidback setting while sipping on the world's finest organic coffees and teas.

"Is Starbucks scamming us?" James asked. "No. And neither should you feel like you're scamming someone with 'smoke and mirrors' if you are wrapping your product in a concept."

The product is incidental. It's the concept you wrap it in that sells it.
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This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2212, 11-29-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.