Starbucks Mobile Payments Give New Meaning to 'Coffee on the Go'
Written on Monday, April 12, 2010
This weekend was all about work work work, but one good thing that came out of it was that I came across a few mobile marketing campaigns well worth noting, which I intend to write about this week, and today's post is exactly about one of these.
Starbucks, the world-known coffee shop brand, is realising more and more what they can gain out of mobile marketing, and is constantly bringing out new mobile marketing campaigns. Following their mobile coupons campaign I'd posted about last year, they're now in the process of adopting a mobile payments system, in order to speed up the whole coffee buying process, especially for those of its customers who are on the go -- and in a hurry! Commuters are a typical example of this type of customer, as their coffee is vital but so is their time. Those who have done any real commuting (approximating near-hour-long travels each way every day) will have felt this in their skin.. You get out of the house two minutes late and suddenly you're in a danger of missing your morning dose of caffeine. And that's not a good start to anyone's day!
Here's more from the Mobile Marketing Watch article:
This week Starbucks has begun letting customers know that the Starbucks Card Mobile App now enables patrons to pay for purchases at more than 1,000 of their beloved coffee shops located within a Target retail outlet.
Using their iPhone or iPod touch device, this new mobile payment option aims to increase the ease and expedience with which customers enjoy their Starbucks experience. The Starbucks Card Mobile and myStarbucks Apps launched last fall to much fanfare and it’s likely the mobile payment capability will be widely embraced by coffee lovers on the go.
Building further on their mobile platform, Starbucks has also revamped Starbucks Card Mobile to enable customers to register a Starbucks Card and even check or reload a card balance.
Starbucks obviously stands to make more money if they attract more customers who are running low on time -- and they've obviously identified the need to attract these customers by speeding up queue times, and mobile payments is a way of doing just that!
It's a shame only iPhone & iPod Touch are supported so far... It just feels that if Starbucks really wanted to reach out to consumers in a rush, they should go for a much wider approach, also providing a means for mobile payment for Android, Blackberry, and Smartphone users providing the appropriate mobile application for these platforms as well.
I, personally, am covered as an iPhone owner, but I do feel for those coffee-deprived people who sleep in and sprint towards the train platform to catch the train... and need their coffee on the train to wake them up! I'm making a stand here -- those of you who belong to the aforementioned group come forward and join me! Get Starbucks to give all of us (you) the mobile app we (you) need!
Posted in
iPhone,
mobile marketing,
mobile payments
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