Starbucks brings the expression of Europe into all the corners of the world. The refinement, tastes and the whole culture of the ancient Italy or France catches life in the Starbucks coffee shops. Its marketing strategy is oriented to attracting people who are willing to try out the stylish European experience, and consume the natural coffee, extracted from whole bean coffee, which makes it a white collar, luxury brand. Starbucks offers not only a coffee and a donut; it serves a full sensory experience, making it into a lifestyle. People who come to Starbucks are there to communicate, to work, to relax, to listen to easy, comforting music, while enjoying the smell of the coffee and consuming the refined drinks and foods, with sophisticated names: vanilla latte, Frappuccino, espresso, Tazo teas, or Starbucks Petites, Sandwiches, Panini & Wraps, etc (Starbucks official website). What Starbucks intends to achieve through its marketing strategy is to create a third place for its customers, between home and office (“Developing Marketing Strategies and a Marketing Plan”, p. 31).
While Starbucks proposed to create this European experience in every corner of the world, bringing the Italian flavors into all its shops, Dunkin Donuts propose a more relaxed atmosphere for its customers, for “the average Joe” (“Developing Marketing Strategies and a Marketing Plan”, p. 32). Its marketing strategy is aimed at presenting and offering a real American experience, on the contrary to Starbucks, which is its main competitor. “America runs on Dunkin” is the company’s current slogan, which incorporates its statement in relation to what its marketing strategy. The brand is not solely about donuts, it is also coffee, tea, and other beverage experience, brought together in its restaurants, all over the world (Dunkin Donuts official website).
On its website, Dunkin Donuts focuses on its donuts and derived products, generating an image of fullness relish, determining the viewer to get as soon as possible to the closes restaurant that serves these wonders. Starbuck’s website, on the other hand, generates another kind of image: refreshing drinks in a relaxed atmosphere that also includes the possibility of grabbing tasteful donuts and sandwiches. A nice touch that Starbucks creates through its main page it is its devotement to social causes: it engages its customers, or any people visiting its website to enroll in social responsibility campaign, such as “The Global Month of Service” (Starbucks official website).
Discussing about the advertisement, there can be observed that companies extend their marketing strategies to this direction. Both Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts express their business orientation through their commercials, or ads.
Starbucks emphasizes on the sophisticated tastes that can only be found in its restaurants. It also underlines the Starbucks experience, which is not similar to any other. The uniqueness, the particularity of the Starbucks beverages goes beyond a coffee drinking moment, moving into a personalized experience, wherein customers introduce themselves, by ordering their drinks in cups wearing their names (adbrands.net/Starbucks). The company uses all the communication channels for delivering its messages: TV, radio, print, online, social media, special events, movie appearances, its own locations.
Dunkin Donuts explores a totally different approach, and most of the time its advertisement is oriented against Starbucks (Noyes, “Java Gibe: Ads Mock Starbucks”). Its advertising strategy includes collaboration with sports teams (Boston Red Sox or New England Patriots), or appearances in movies. The company also uses any other communication channels for posting its advertising campaigns: TV, radio, print, online and social media, special events.
Works Cited
Adbrands.net/Starbucks. Starbucks (US). Accessed on April 7, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.adbrands.net/us/starbucks_us.htm. N.d. Web.
Developing Marketing Strategies and a Marketing Plan. McGraw Hill. Accessed on April 7, 2012. Retrieved from http://highered.mcgrawhill.com/sites/dl/free/0073380954/654524/grewal2e_sample.pdf. N.d. Web.
Dunkin Donuts. Official Website. Accessed on April 7, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.dunkindonuts.com/. N.d. Web.
Noyes, Jesse, Java Gibe: Ads Mock Starbucks. Accessed on April 7. 2012. Retrieved from http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/1126899251.html?dids=1126899251:1126899251&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+13%2C+2006&author=JESSE+NOYES&pub=Boston+Herald&edition=&startpage=25&desc=Java+gibe%3A+Ads+mock+Starbucks. N.d. Web.
Starbucks. Official Website. Accessed on April 7, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.starbucks.com/. N.d. Web.
