The setting: The majority of coffee drinkers are loyal to coffeehouses such as Starbucks because they are in close proximity to class, work, etc, and fit in with their routine. During the pandemic, almost half of WFH coffee drinkers either cut down their coffee intake or tried Dalgona coffee, Pourover coffee, and everything in between that is, until they landed on the easiest coffee solution—the coffee pod. It is now officially the era of capsule and home-brewed coffee, but where do Starbucks and its coffee culture fit into all this?

The truth:

• 85% of consumers agree that making coffee at home is a good way to save money.

• More than 40% of Americans bought types of coffee they had never tried before during the pandemic, (e.g., new brand, roast, or type of beans) and nearly one-third tried to replicate a favorite coffee shop beverage at home.

• One-quarter of Americans purchased new coffee formats (e.g., trying single cups, instant, ground, or whole beans), and nearly one-quarter purchased a new home coffee machine.

• Consumers have changed their routines over the pandemic and are taking more of an interest in dining experiences-in-a-box, with cocktails, and even music playlists.

When it comes to coffee lovers it’s not just about a coffee brand fitting into their routine but also about what they do as part of that routine while drinking coffee. Most coffee drinkers pair activities such as reading, solving a puzzle, working or drawing with drinking coffee.

WFH coffee drinkers deserve a toast! It’s hard to switch up routines and maintain that work-life balance especially when your home is your office. So Starbucks has created the perfect subscription box to celebrate its customers who work from home and are rediscovering their coffee routine and the habits they pair with it. It includes coffee capsules, monthly arts and crafts supplies, magazine subscriptions, and local community meetings over Zoom. Starbucks is here to show gratitude and bring coffee, craft, and community to our consumers at home.

But first things first, let’s get into the subscription box!

Basic Capsule Restock Plan

• 29.99 USD + free shipping to automatically restock your coffee capsule inventory (with 40 capsules).

The first month is on us!

The first month is free with the purchase of Keurig.

• 80-208 USD for the machine-customized flavored K-Cup capsules and sauces.

• 40 capsules and 3 flavor syrup. Includes different partnerships and offers fun things in each box like arts and crafts supplies, magazines, coupons, zoom community, etc.

A peek inside the subscription box!

Tiktok Influencer Collaboration

Because where else do people go for recipes and their grocery shopping wishlists? #Foodtok is a powerful tool to target WFH coffee purists in the making. Here are some pre-made sample TikToks for reference:

And now for the fun stuff!

Instagram

Passing the torch to our target: The Instagram content focuses on holding votes to help our audience decide which Starbucks x _____fun Brand collab they’d like in their subscription box next. Along with content related to habit stacking, coffee routines, wellness habits, etc.

Starbucks Zoom Community

“A toast to you” on Zoom: A Starbucks community that shares the love for coffee and Starbucks products. People who live around their local Starbucks can exchange holistic experiences and ideas and support each other and the local businesses in their neighborhood. The Zoom talks are a platform for people to learn more about the Starbucks coffee capsules and the ways they can use them and an opportunity to share their wellness habits, routines, tips, and hobbies. Not to mention a great way to meet and find new people in your neighborhood.

What I did: Strategy + Copywriting