Posted by Starbucks Entices Users to App with Access to Secret Menu
Is it still a secret if 31 million people know about it?
Neither the app users nor Starbucks leadership seem to be concerned with that caveat. The point is their latest marketing campaign seeks to lure more users to their app (of which there are an estimated 31 million) with promises of the keys to the kingdom – or in this case, access to Starbucks’ rumored secret menu.
Word of the secret menu has circulated for years, and more advanced Starbucks patrons have decoded some of the ins and outs. Drinks you can only find in this elusive chamber. Tips from friends who work for the coffee giant and have insider information.
But now the gates are open and any customer can enter this realm by using the Starbucks app and selecting the “offers” tab. Once in, users can collect stars that accumulate to earn free drinks, and order special beverages not offered anywhere else directly from the secret menu.
Not to detract from the mystique, but the contents of the secret menu actually equate to customizable beverages that offer a new twist on established ones. Examples include items like “cookies on top cold brew,” “dragonfruit glow-up” lemonade refresher, and a “just add white mocha” iced shaken espresso, among others.
The campaign raises more hoopla with a Secret Menu Contest. Participants can submit their best original beverage idea to Starbucks and compete to win up to $25,000. Four finalists will be selected through July 20 and their creations will be featured on the app during the week of August 18-25. Fans can vote for their favorite drink to determine the ultimate winner. All four finalists will take home $5K each.
Will the allure of money and mystery equate to many added users on the Starbucks app? The coffee retailer hopes so. Everybody loves a good secret. Read more about the effort here.