Refreshing News
Onto Real News...
Looking over my purchases, I can see that I spend way too much money at Starbucks. I am at the point of needing one just to get through my day. It’s something that helps me to look forward to the end of the day and get through my endless piles of homework. I’m suddenly in a much better mood after having a Refresher. They’ve officially found a way to sneak into my life and find a permanent residence. This sweetened blend of fruit juice and natural sweetener from green tea extract provide a boost of energy that offers a natural source of caffeine without the coffee flavor. It’s served chill over ice and also in on-the-go powder packets (of which I haven’t used yet), and a soda-like can.
My favorite option in can form is the Strawberry Lemonade that goes for a whopping $2/can. The version available at stores includes a 31 oz. cup filled with the Cool Lime Refresher and chilled to perfection. The drink is light, refreshing, and doesn’t have any funny flavor that other energy drinks seem to possess. The natural caffeine may have a lot to do with this phenomenon which I’m completely okay with; three different vitamin B’s and Vitamin C are a great way to start off just about any day.
The “Secret” Sauce
The original handcrafted drinks made their debut in France and many people saw them fly off the shelves. Canada and the United States were next in line to bring in this product and I’ve been a huge follower ever since. The drink has helped Starbucks along grow by 16% on its dollar sales. They’ve been quoted saying that it’s a “breakthrough innovation” that will help to continue in setting them apart from their competitors. I couldn’t agree anymore. I’ve literally taken photos of my drinks and posted them on Facebook promoting the greatness they’ve brought to my day.
Is it Really Natural?
Part of the mystique behind Starbucks new product is that it is all-natural. The entire process is considered proprietary and hidden behind lock and key. But, the claim stands. The FDA has regulations that are very tough on energy and caffeine. Specifically the idea behind whether energy is really natural within a product. However, Julie Felss Masino, Starbucks’ vice president of global beverage, states without doubt that it’s a natural boost that gets its origin from green coffee extract. The real key for the success for this product has not been in its natural appeal (although that doesn’t hurt!) The social media campaign and the constant viral updates around the product have helped to “leak” it into being one of the most successful in the industry (and within my pocket). People are flocking to their nearest stores asking for what their friends are having.
Generating Note-Worthy Buzz
Unfortunately as much as I promote the product to all of my friends, I am not paid for such
services. Starbucks is using this to their advantage. Using their Facebook page, they’ve begun asking fans to pick up a free beverage at any Starbucks (during a certain time frame). As people started talking about the campaign online, Starbucks was able to gauge the upward trend movement through their page. They were able to see first-hand the results of fans and were able to share in the experience of the new drinks. Experience has always been something that Starbucks associates them with and uses to differentiate them within the market. By being able to have fans recommend the drinks in real time, they were able to produce positive advocacy for their product by linking a social campaign and real-life consumer experience. They were able to get over 70,000 likes and over 4,000 comments in giving out these free Refreshers (which was higher than other posts on their page). The free advocacy that they received from people across the world and from consumers just like me is part of their success. The other part truly is that their product stands out amongst others in the natural market. They have been able to differentiate themselves in the market and have successfully captured a significant amount of press including a large portion of my minimal bi-weekly paycheck.