There’s the old adage that “if you don’t take care of your customers…someone else will”. That now seems to be the case after Starbucks reneged on an iced coffee internet coupon.
As always, when you drop the ball, someone is there to immediately pick it up. Caribou Coffee has announced they will accept the Starbucks coupons for a set timeframe this Friday afternoon.
Aside from the fact that Starbucks shouldn’t be in the coupon business (if you can lay out $3 for a cup of coffee…you’re not a coupon clipper), this shows a deeper truth about marketing. Honor your promises to the customers. Even if that “promise” wasn’t exactly what you meant or got a little out of hand, if it won’t bankrupt you….follow through. Or else a bunch of your customers might be checking out a competitor this Friday afternoon.
tags:: marketing – coupons – starbucks – caribou coffee
Yep, I think it’s cool that Caribou capitalized on Starbucks’ goof—basically taking someone else’s promise and making it their own. It says a lot about Caribou’s culture, almost as much as it does about Starbucks in a negative light.
I fell in love with Caribou while visiting Atlanta/Buckhead on business, several years back. They really helped to keep me sane during a hectic trade show schedule. Their brand personality is quite inviting and appealing, and this latest move seems to reinforce that.