Richard Fouts

If you’ve ever wanted to live your alter ego, if only for a moment, Starbucks is about to fulfill your fantasy. The popular coffee bar just announced its new method for paying for your morning latte: simply speak your name. Now there’s a concept that exemplifies “ease of use.”

As stated in the NY Times, “This fall, Square will begin processing all credit and debit card transactions at Starbucks stores in the United States and eventually customers will be able to order a grande vanilla latte and charge it to their credit cards simply by saying their names.”

The timing for this announcement is uncanny. Picture this. At a recent management offsite, my manager Christine Adams poses the question:  “If you could pick an alternate name, one that you think suits you better than what you have now (that by the way, was not permission based)….what would it be?”

“You mean like a Starbucks name?” I respond.

Chris looks at me puzzledly, then says, “Sure, like a Starbucks name.”

Colleague Tiffani Bova – quickly volunteers that her Starbucks name is “Sunrise.”  She also admits that the baristas give her a funny look when she offers up this 60s-style identity (they clearly don’t believe it’s her real name)  to which she responds, “That’s right…Sunrise!”    (By the way, my Starbucks name is Kyle.)

Let’s face it.  Cash is a nuisance. You run to the ATM, withdraw a hundred bucks, only to find yourself peering into an empty wallet in no time at all. We are clearly ready for alternatives. Our debit cards are a good start, but speaking your name when it comes time to pay? Now there’s a concept I can live with.  And – I get to be Kyle, if only for a moment.  Tiffani on the other hand, likely sustains her Sunrise persona for at least an hour. What’s your Starbucks name?

Read the Starbuck’s announcement here.

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Category: Marketing communications Marketing Strategy Uncategorized     Tags: Brand awareness, digital marketing, Starbuck, Starbucks

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