The iPhone is rapidly becoming the most versatile and must have item of choice. Personally, if my building were on fire I would grab my iPhone over anything else. Thousands of applications or "apps" make this phone the most useful machine man has created. One more to add to the list is the new Starbucks app. You may be thinking "oh, what now, a game where you play a barista and conjure up a variety of lattes and frappuccinos". Quite the contrary, the people over at Starbucks have taken something simple and made it revolutionary. Somewhat of a gift from the heavens for those caffeine addicts out there the Starbucks Card Mobile App allows you to carry Starbucks money stored on the app which allows for quick purchases through a barcode reader when at your local Starbucks.
Now, let us talk business. As Miyazaki said in his latest post concerning this issue, "Why it matters is that this is a step toward more comprehensive payments systems that can move individual credit cards to smart phones via "near field communication," which will allow consumers to pay for products by waving their phone near a sensor at the point of purchase". This could be a great marketing tool in the sense that Starbucks could link such purchases to social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter via status updates. For example, I buy a tall, caramel frappuccino, double-blended, no whip cream with my Starbucks app and when the transaction is made my Facebook status automatically updates to something like 'Erica is enjoying her Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks', this may inspire my friends and followers so purchase one as well.
It's a great day and age to live in, but all the interconnectedness of the Internet and personal life can be a bit scary.
Just be safe and smart out there! ;)
-Erica
I think your idea to link it with social networking sites is great for marketing purposes. We already use our phones to publicize every detail of our lives and for checking into to places. Checking into starbucks using the app and stating what they bought would be a great way to get others to do the same. When it comes to food and beverage, we are influenced greatly by suggestion. Seeing as we are individuals that spend most of our time on the phone, on these sites, it would make perfect sense.
ReplyDeleteAs college students, we use social media to see what everyone else is doing, and if I'm in the library studying for exams and I take a break to check facebook and see that post about that delicious frappuccino you're enjoying, I'd definitely be motivated to go get one myself.
I think starbucks could implement this idea into their apps. They could create some incentives so that people use the app even more. For example, when you make a purchase because you saw someone else's status about drinking starbucks. The person who posted it could maybe receive the same drink they ordered free their next visit and the person they inspired to get a beverage could also get some rewards or discounts.
I think you're unto something Erica, you managed to make me think about that Caramel Frappuccino and I'm not even that big a Starbucks fan.