Half a message just isn't enough

The reason for Starbucks' recent (and well-publicized) re-education effort, where all US corporate-owned stores closed for several hours to train baristas, may have been lost on consumers, reports MediaBuyerPlanner.

Starbucks did a laudable job letting people know it would be closed on February 25 from 5:30pm to 9pm. Unfortunately, few consumers caught onto the last half of the message: that Starbucks was doing it to improve their experience.

An Aegis Group survey found 75 percent of 1000 consumers surveyed knew the java giant was closed, but fewer than half knew why.

Dunkin’ Donuts offered a 99-cent latte promotion for the day, a move that resulted in a significant increase in traffic and sales, according to AdAge. Other coffee retailers, including Biggby Coffee and Coffee Klatch, gave drinks away.

This is not the first time Starbucks has given competitors an opportunity to jump on its back. In 2006, Starbucks voided a promotion intended for employees and friends. The promotion went viral, forcing the company to honor more discounts than it could afford, so Starbucks stopped accepting the coupon.

Rival Caribou Coffee took advantage by honoring the Starbucks coupon and, at the same time, providing a free drink offer to email subscribers.