Suddenly trending at the top, is Starbucks really in a hurry?

Early this morning, many netizens reported that Starbucks' app suddenly displayed numerous drink coupons, mostly free medium-sized drink redemption vouchers, allowing customers to purchase new products or typically expensive beverages for just 3 yuan (with medium to large upgrades costing an additional 3 yuan)!

However, this opportunity to take advantage of the deal quickly disappeared. Netizens who were late to the trend expressed regret at missing their chance, as both the Starbucks mini-program and app entered maintenance mode. In response, Starbucks' official customer service stated that this was a system bug currently being fixed, and that coupons already issued to accounts could be used normally if they could be redeemed.

Facing this sudden bug, and with "Starbucks" unexpectedly trending at the top of social media hot topics without any warning, many netizens proposed two theories: one suggests that yesterday's response from a store manager regarding foreign objects found in coffee was designed to shift public attention, while the other speculates it was a marketing tactic, as Starbucks grew anxious following Luckin Coffee's launch of their Coconut Cloud Latte collaboration with Yeshu yesterday.

Foreign Object Incident

Yesterday, news about finding foreign objects in Starbucks coffee sparked widespread discussion among netizens. A customer discovered a silicone object in their Starbucks coffee, which was later confirmed by Starbucks staff to be a small handle from the steam wand switch of a Black Eagle coffee machine at a Starbucks Reserve store that had fallen into the coffee. The store manager stated that the beverage was made by a hearing-impaired employee who didn't notice the fallen part due to their hearing impairment. Additionally, upon receiving the complaint, the store manager didn't offer a sincere apology but instead first demanded the customer return the fallen component.

Regarding this incident, both Starbucks employees and netizens expressed confusion for two reasons: the steam wand switch is used frequently, making it impossible for a missing component to go unnoticed for so long; and when addressing the incident, regardless of the cause, there was no need to emphasize that the beverage was made by a hearing-impaired employee rather than simply acknowledging an operational error.

Starbucks' Commitment to Disability Employment

Before countries established policies encouraging businesses to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities, Starbucks had already proactively offered employment to disabled individuals. In the 2001 film "I Am Sam," the protagonist with intellectual disabilities worked at a Starbucks coffee shop. The film demonstrates that Starbucks had already begun showcasing its corporate social responsibility to the public as early as 2001.

Originally, this initiative could have increased consumer goodwill toward the company, but the inappropriate wording of one employee caused consumer sentiment toward the brand to decline once again. While this doesn't represent the entire brand, it indirectly reflects insufficient employee training and a disconnect between employee and company attitudes regarding employment of people with disabilities.

Timing Suspicion Amid Competition

On another hand, the sudden and seemingly inexplicable coupon bug occurring just one day after Luckin's new product launch has led netizens to suspect that Starbucks is feeling anxious. Yesterday, Luckin Coffee officially launched its Coconut Cloud Latte in collaboration with Yeshu brand. For the promotion of this new product, Luckin implemented extensive marketing including early previews, coupon distribution, and various group buying and lottery activities. This resulted in social media buzz on the first day of launch, with sales reaching 660,000 cups. The collaboration between two domestic brands combined with bargain pricing made the Coconut Cloud Latte just as popular as the original Coconut Latte when first introduced, leading Luckin to set a target of selling 100 million cups.

Meanwhile, Starbucks had recently launched its Twenty-Four Solar Terms series of beverages, but their sales and popularity fell far short of Luckin's new products. This might be due to high product pricing or perhaps the new series being too minimalist and artistic, lacking the resonance needed to stimulate consumer purchases.

Therefore, netizens speculate that today's coupon bug might have been intentional by Starbucks—subtly providing consumers with an unexpected "windfall" opportunity. Through netizens posting about their "shock/complaints" regarding the bug, the company could achieve promotional effects while simultaneously shifting the topic of conversation.

Conclusion

Regardless of the reason, Starbucks now faces not only customer loss problems but also various major issues resulting from neglecting fundamental problems for too long. To regain consumer trust and attention in the brand, what's needed isn't sudden trending topics to capture public attention, but sincere problem-solving, as one netizen stated:

As stated in Starbucks' own brand values: "For everything we do, we are always striving to do our very best, and we have the courage to take responsibility."

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