Case Study:

Turning a Seasonal Spike into Long-Term Loyalty for At-Home Coffee

The Challenge

Despite being more associated with seasonal flavors than competitors, Starbucks faced increased competition during the winter holidays for share of wallet in the at-home coffee category. Holiday LTOs (limited time offers) were a main point of entry into the brand for new consumers. Starbucks needed two wins on the paid social media Q4 winter LTOs campaign. First, deliver a best-in-category, time-bound seasonal performance. Second, convert first-time holiday LTO consumers through to the next year’s Q1 core product portfolio as new buyers.

The Solution

Beginning with the foundational insight that people intentionally seek out experiences that make them feel festive during the holidays, I crafted a paid social media creative strategy that definitively paired the coffee brand with celebration.

Looking at current and predictive trends in nostalgia, home decor, and immersive art; speaking to real world tension points like holiday travel and hosting pressure; and dialing up the joy of experiencing once a year flavors, the strategy succeeded in driving strong top of funnel brand awareness across all paid social media channels.

Most importantly, success from the Q4 Holiday campaign carried into the Q1 Core campaign. Consumers who chose to celebrate their holiday traditions with the brand’s LTOs continued exploring Core products in the New Year.

Lasting Results

+50%

+10%

+3.3pt

+16%

Exceeded overall brand awareness CPM goal by +50%

Snapchat CPM was 10% more efficient than goal

Pinterest activations drove 3.3pt lift in Brand Awareness

Q1 Core product campaign exceeded brand awareness CPM goal by 16% overall and Pinterest CPM by 48%