Starbucks
Via Instant
The Shift
INSTEAD OF STARBUCKS
INSTANT COFFEE
Starbucks coffee
in an instant
The Challenge
Launch a new product: Introducing Starbuck’s radically new version of instant coffee
But “instant coffee” conjures memories of tasteless floating crystals, not delicious Starbucks coffee. How could Starbucks launch without being weighed down by the category’s worst attributes?
The Insight
Sometimes just one word or phrase can prime the audience and get them hearing things differently.
We changed the focus of the message with a subtle but critical language shift: it’s not instant coffee from Starbucks, it’s Starbucks coffee, in an instant.
The Result
Starbucks earned 30% market share and $100 million+ in first-year global sales. The in an instant language still defines Starbucks Via today.
