Starbucks
Identity and expression redesign for the Starbucks Rewards loyalty program to ensure a lasting relationship between the brand and its favorite customers.
Loyalty Program Identity Redesign
Role:
Creative Director
Responsibilities:
Creative direction for visuals and voice, brand strategy, loyalty strategy, senior stakeholder management, agency selection/management and implementation planning
The Starbucks Rewards loyalty program, along with its pioneering payment app had grown exponentially since launching in 2009. Nearly a decade later it was time to overhaul the program to keep it engaging and profitable. I lead the Creative Studio team that was tasked with redesigning the overall Starbucks Rewards identity in conjunction with the updated program mechanics and redesigned app.
Outcomes:
• Clear customer promise and creative principles to guide future decision-making
• Sophisticated, yet playful identity closely aligned with the Starbucks core brand experience
• Flexible program expression designed to show up across channels, including digital, in-store, out of home, and even on the iconic Starbucks cup
• Streamlined creative assets to in support of dynamic personalized marketing
We partnered with R/GA to guide us through research and answer why Starbucks Rewards mattered to members (beyond the discount). The insights inspired a new loyalty program promise and creative principles that aligned with Starbucks’ core brand. With the foundation in place we developed a modern and elevated program identity, including logo, iconography, color, typography, photography, illustration and copywriting. The identity was built to flex with member journeys, adjusting our messaging depending on the state of our relationship with the customer.
The Team:
Starbucks Creative Studio, Starbucks Marketing, Starbucks Digital Product and R/GA.
Early collaboration with marketing, product, and IT, helped build a new program and its identity to be fun, functional and easy-to-understand. But the real success was in listening to the customers who provided all the answers we needed. The Starbucks Rewards identity shows up everywhere customers are, from the app to their cup.