Starbucks caffeinates China strategy with more social gifting, AR

In order to drive customer loyalty, Starbucks is trying to use digital marketing approaches, for instance, the Starbucks loyalty programme. Making use of China’s market, Starbucks experiment with some new digital strategies like social gifting and AR.

With the use of the loyalty programme, consumers can get a reward of a cup of coffee once they have purchased a certain amount. This can help maintaining relationship with the customers as they will be more likely to go back to Starbucks if they would like to get some caffeine. The rewarding system motivates them to go back, so as to earn a free beverage in the near future.

To go further beyond this, Starbucks is suggesting that improving their system, like adding audio ordering function to facilitate people to make their orders more easily. By making the system more user-friendly, more people may join the loyalty programme, meanwhile, attracting more customers. Another attractive feature is that to use AR technology so that customers can try have a taste of communicating with the barista, to get their customized coffee. Having an individualized beverage at ease allow customers to have a better sense of belonging towards to company, and consider that they are more respected. With these affected emotions, they tend to go back to Starbucks instead of other competitive coffee shops. 

Brand promotion is achieved and more long-term customers are attracted. This may help elevating in-store experience and drive customer loyalty.