Starbucks “Roll in” the Energy Market
The coffee giant isn’t putting all its beans in one basket: It debuts a big campaign for its first energy drink, BAYA as it begins fighting for market share in the fast-rising segment.
Whether pumping iron at the gym or simply trying to alert during the choric world we are living in now, we are continuing to seek energy beverages to provide a physical and mental boost. According to Industry ARC, the U.S. Energy Drinks Market size is estimated to reach $17.2 billion by 2026.
The coffee giant, Starbucks is certainly not lagging behind.
Feel Good Energy
In May 2022, the team created an integrated marketing “Energy That’s Good” campaign for launching Starbucks BAYA energy drink, to celebrate the feel-good energy of the drink. It came from the insight that when you are full of good energy, it comes through in all you do. The campaign highlights the refreshing, fruit-flavored boost of feel-good energy — as well as the uplifting vibe that only Starbucks can deliver from caffeine naturally found in coffee fruit.
The campaign starts with a 30s video, “ROLLING” as a visualization of feel-good energy. As the girl rolls through the city, her good energy impacts the world — the pineapple earrings, and the mannequin in the storefront just magically came alive and vibe with her.
Along with the film, Starbucks BAYA established an Energy Maker lab, featuring content creators who create and share “Feel-Good” content with their communities through music, movement, and art.
Contents are shared via social media such as Instagram and TikTok with #energymakers. They are short but entertaining and show each creator’s characteristics, but most importantly radiate a “good vibe”
National Sampling Tour
The campaign didn’t only stay online, the brand has also tried to reach its customers via the offline channel. Right after the kickoff, Starbucks started promoting its new energy drink with a nationwide sampling tour. The brand primarily targets GenZ who are consistently looking for new caffeinate alternatives. To place its products among the audience, Starbucks BAYA went to the college campus, dorms, and apartments with free samples. The college kids who received free samples not only enjoyed a drink (or two) but also spread the word, free of cost!
Did the Campaign work?
YES! With the integrated marketing campaign, Starbucks BAYA energy drink was able to provide a holistic brand narrative across all platforms. The campaign created a buzz with online contents and followed up with offline product sampling. We think of Red Bull when it comes to drinking sampling. The marketing strategy is still very effective today, with social media, this offline experience was also able to gain digital exposure as someone posted it online.
With the name of Starbucks, the energy drink brand has created some brand recognition in a short period. If I were an energy drink competitor, I would be worried!
