One of the potential possibilities for the future growth the expansion of Starbuck’s services to B2B segment. A combination with Uber will allow rapid delivery to the preferred locations. Meanwhile, the diversified menu will contribute to the satisfaction of need of an extended number of audience.
Positioning
The key competitors of Starbucks in the relevant market are McDonalds and Dunkin’ Donuts. The company already has a considerable competitive advantage over McDonalds in terms of the variety of coffee on offer. In order to gain the same advantage over Dunkin’ Donuts, it is essential to implement an effective B2B approach. Meanwhile, it is critical to highlight that the company aims at convenience while catering individual needs. It provides value for a business meeting and the streamline of B2B and B2C incentives, as a combination of the provided services contributes to the strong positioning in the market.
Product
As for Starbuck’s marketing mix, the product has a tendency to cover different preferences by offering food (hot breakfast, bistro boxes, bakery) and beverages (cold and hot drinks). People can select their own combination of food and drink during the business meeting. Consequently, it is easy to make an order without asking the preferences of the other members of the meeting, as each offer is prepared individually while increasing a popularity of business orders.
Starbuck’s mobile application and a website reflect the company’s image and increase the possibility to research the products. As for the packaging, the company uses its logo and signature colors to create an association with a brand. These aspects make the product unique and contribute to the establishment of the company’s image. Similar colors are presented in the menu and create the perception of unity while delivering superior value to its clients. Another vital matter is a correlation with UberEATS, as the utilization of this service allows the delivery to the preferred location. This approach increases a convenience of the service while contributing to the establishment of the partnerships with businesses.
Brief research is enough to show that the company has a major emphasis on B2C rather than B2B approach. The marketing strategy is mainly targeted at the clients who seek to satisfy their immediate needs and do not essentially intend to build long-lasting relationships with the brand. In addition, the advertising campaigns focus on catchy slogans and attractive discounts – it illustrates their appeal to the B2C type of clients.
It could be said that B2B approach is likely to ensure a consistent everyday demand contrary to the occasional character of needs that B2C strategy states. Thus, the orders that will come from business partners will necessarily imply the regular basis as they need to provide their employees with lunches at least five days per week. From this perspective, the convenient packaging will constitute a competitive advantage – Starbuck’s cups are designed to avoid spilling. Meanwhile, a partnership of Starbucks with Uber contributes to the delivery of the services to the business location without distracting the employees from their duties.
Additionally, it is assumed that a particular focus should be put on re-shaping the menu to make it more relevant to business orders. Thus, for instance, a complex lunch set might be included in the menu as the most convenient option for business clients – the lunch set will comprise the most typical items that employees tend to order. Moreover, the menu might offer several lunch sets in terms of size: “Casual Meeting” (5 people), “Group Lunch” (10 people), “Special Occasion” (20 people). In such a manner, Starbucks will be able to offer lower prices taking into account the fact that the “lunch sets” will ensure that business companies purchase more items than they would if they made an ordinary order and selecting the items separately.