The Starbucks Channel — the perfect way to connect to their brand

When I was in a recent Starbucks and I noticed when I went on their now FREE wifi, I discovered something so simple but so perfect for building a connection to customers – the Starbucks Channel.

When you go to Starbucks and hang out, what value does that give them for $8 worth of a double moca-frappe and a pastry? It’s a whole new way to market to their customer. They not only bring you free wifi, they connect you with the New York Times, The Economist, news, sports and music downloads. They create an experience that’s more than just sitting at the table in your own world. Even if you only go to the “channel” to approve their terms of use, you are in “Starbucks World”; they have channeled you to an impression, communications and media.

Starbucks radically “gets” that they are not a seller of coffee and donuts. They really get that they are selling experiences and a location; a place to be and be with others in your own world and an environment that brings a world to you.

This does three things in the modern world of experiential branding:

1- It give you total control over the choices provided to you in a predictable way without any pitch to buy anything,

2 – It allows Strabucks to create and share experiences and media that they think will keep you connected to them, and

3 – It allows Starbucks to be a channel for other purveyors of media and content struggling to find to ways to reach their targeted groups. The Starbucks Channel provides Starbucks a new passive but ongoing revenue stream customized by their end customer.

Other retailers and businesses need to pay attention and find out how they can be the intermediary, giving their customers what they are searching for. It’s the perfect place to be recognized for your value and monetize content from third parties who are desperately looking for new customers.