Hughes Public Relations, Adelaide

Tuesday, Sep 07th

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Starbucks, Case Study, Hughes PR

Starbucks
International coffee icon opens in South Australia.

The Situation. In 2006, international coffee icon Starbucks opened its first stores in South Australia. Its flagship store was situated in Rundle Mall, Adelaide CBD, with two other stores in Glenelg and at Centro Colonnades. The store at Centro Colonnades was the first store to open in South Australia. The coffee house/café market in South Australia has undergone a period of enormous growth and is now an established part of the State’s lifestyle and is highly competitive. It was important that Starbucks be seen as an industry leader and offering more than the competition not only in terms of product but in quality and experience.

Of paramount importance to Starbucks were key influencers, including media, business and local celebrities and personalities who the company wished to be positively educated about the brand, in line with Starbucks international ‘celebrity’ association. Launching Starbucks into the South Australian market was an important part of the company’s global plan to increase its store portfolio. Public relations was key to increasing consumer awareness as well as gaining media attention and ‘celebrity’ association.

Objectives. Hughes Public Relations was commissioned to lead Starbucks brand awareness program in South Australia and to achieve specific objectives and outcomes including obtaining timed media coverage in newspaper, industry and lifestyle publications prior to the launch of the flagship store in Adelaide CBD, organising a flagship store opening launch and organising media briefings on the opening day. Starbucks wished to achieve at least four articles/broadcasts published around the opening of their three stores.

The goals of the campaign were to create positive awareness of Starbucks brand values and to generate positive awareness and excitement around the store openings.

Among the key objectives set by Hughes Public Relations and Starbucks were:

  1. To obtain timed pieces of media coverage in newspaper, industry and lifestyle publications prior to the launch of the flagship store;
  2. To target key journalists/key influencers with Starbucks information and products to raise awareness pre-launch;
  3. To implement strategies to encourage people to visit Starbucks and to raise awareness about the Starbucks brand;
  4. To generate positive awareness and excitement around the store openings by organising events and using promotional opportunities;
  5. To gain at least four published articles/broadcasts around the store openings.


Elements. Implementation of the communications program consisted of the following key elements:

  • Developing relationships with key journalists and influencers throughout the campaign and co-ordinating all media and interview activity to ensure delivery of the key messages;
  • Developing and organising VIP kits to raise awareness of Starbucks launching in South Australia;
  • Planning, organising and implementing a launch day on Friday, October 13 themed around ‘thank your lucky Starbucks day’. This included:
  • Giving away Starbucks vouchers at Adelaide train station during morning rush hour by promotional staff dressed in Starbucks aprons;
  • Using promotional staff dressed in Starbucks aprons as ‘parking angels’ paying for people’s parking and driving them to the store with Starbucks vouchers;
  • Using promotional staff dressed in Starbucks aprons to pay for cinema tickets for people queuing to see the Starbucks themed, ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ and giving away Starbucks vouchers;
  • Organising media briefings with the Senior Vice President of the Asia Pacific Group of Starbuck’s Coffee;
  • Planning, organising and implementing a Young Entrepreneur’s Lunch hosted by the Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific Group of Starbuck’s Coffee, bringing together young entrepreneur’s, the media and Starbucks to gain an insight into the fundamental elements of Starbuck’s global success.

Outcome. The launch of Starbucks in South Australia was very successful with research conducted by Starbucks showing that the Rundle Mall outlet had more customers on its first day of opening than any other store in Australia.

Feedback from the ‘thank your lucky Starbucks Day’ activities was very positive with a high level of surprise and delight expressed by all those who received parking metre cash, cinema tickets and Starbucks cards.

The activity at Adelaide Train Station was very well received with excellent visual presence and feedback from commuters. All 1,800 Starbucks cards were distributed during the first hour and the Rundle Mall store reported a busier than usual morning with many customers using their Starbucks cards.

The media campaign exceeded the client’s objective of securing at least four published articles/broadcasts around the opening of the three stores.

As a result of a carefully planned and executed PR strategy, the communications carried key messages and promotional work raised awareness of Starbucks presence in Adelaide, successfully encouraging customers to visit a Starbucks store.