Yesterday before going home from work, I decided to stop by Starbucks for some alone time with a cappuccino. So I sit there, open my laptop, log on to the Internet using their WiFi, and I see interesting news: Starbucks is ‘wearing’ promotional items for the movie ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ by Lions Gate Films.
How does it work? Starbucks baristas will get a sneak peek of the film before its release. Then they will wear conspicuous lanyards imprinted with “Akeelah” buzzwords in hopes of getting Starbucks patrons to talk about the movie, and, with any luck, watch it.
This is a low-key marketing strategy – and I think it just might work. Promotional lanyards have been used by many businesses to promote either new products or establish brand names. So many things can be printed on it – a logo, a tagline, a website address, a hotline number, etc. In Rushimprint, lanyards are triple-purpose. They promote the company or product, hold IDs and keys and USBs, and even help reduce stress.
The ‘Globe Stress Reliever Badge Holder’
I hear that some avid Starbucks customers who are after the ‘calm’ atmosphere are getting ticked at the coffee shop’s ‘commercial’ endeavors. Starbucks, after all, already distributes ancillary products such as CDs and DVDs. Ironically, some 30 million customers still flock to Starbucks outlets weekly, and the numbers are rising.
Hey, maybe discreet promotional tactics are not so bad. A lanyard never hurt anyone.
-Josh