Ch. 16 Integrated Marketing Communication

It is less likely that a business survives without promotion no matter how good the product is. Communication to customers is an essential key to make them aware, informed and more apt to take action. All the promotional strategies ( advertising,public relation, personal selling and sales promotion) must be combined effectively and efficiency. It is important to promote on each and every stage of the "purchase decision making process" in order to make customer buy the products. The AIDA concept outlines four basic levels of the purchase decision making process (attention, interest,desire,action) and indicates the most effective promotion strategies on each level.

Starbucks mostly attracts attention through high publicity and all kinds of direct and indirect advertisement. For example, the coffee company seems to be everywhere in NYC. The extreme appearance of the Starbucks brand on cups, stores, packages, TV, social media etc. pp. catches the average consumers eye immediately and unintentional. 

Simple awareness is not enough to drive a consumer to buy, interest must be created. Starbucks creates high interest by advertising their unique store experience and by public relations. For instance, Starbucks attracts interest by sponsoring communities such as the store in Harlem, NYC that shares the profit with the community.

Starbucks encourages desire by different sales promotion that persuade customers to by new products and by well trained sales people.

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Additionally, Starbucks is the most distinctive coffee brand ("rich experience", "more than just coffee")  these days which automatically stimulates desire. 

The coffee company seems to be on a pretty good course regarding action.

"In 1971, our original store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market served its first cup of coffee. Today, Starbucks Coffee Company is the leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the world. More than 40 million customers visit Starbucks retail stores every week where they enjoy cup after cup of freshly brewed coffee."