Magical Copy

STOP THE PRESSES!!

A marketing blog about Starbucks' unequivocal branding? Really ...???

No, I'm not hurting for topics but I'm daring to tread where -- um, like, every other marketing wonk has tread before. The holy grail of branding: Starbucks.

On a recent business trip I was killing time while enjoying a cup of my favorite Starbucks brew (plain ol' house dark roast, black) and was bored enough to actually read my coffee cup. And what nuggets of info does the cup contain? Caution: Hot! (McDonalds, trying dodge yet another suit). A little diagram on how much ice to put in (Burger King. -- like someone doesn't know? Like you could maybe mess that one up?? I digress). No, the copy on the Starbucks cup simply read:

There is a hidden magic in Starbucks coffee; proper brewing releases the subtle bouquet of flavors stored in each bean.

Wow. That, my friend, is why we pay 3-4 times more for Starbucks. With a story like that how could you possibly get anything else? Or, conversely, how could you not believe that Starbucks' coffee is better? This cup (a cup for crying out loud!) can teach us so much:

1. Talk about Copywriting 101. Take note: the imagery, the heightened language.
2. Not to mention Branding 201: Never underestimate any little bit of packaging. We all know it would be easier, cheaper, etc. to just order plain old boxes. But if you go that extra mile you could have a customer for life.
3. Finally it drives home either Tom Peters' WOW! Factor or Seth Godin's Purple Cow. Take your pick ...

The Point? Go there. Write magical copy. Create transcendant products and services. You don't just sell widgets! You sell an experience unlike any other. And if you don't believe that, well then, they'll always be a need for someone at the bottom for the people at the top to look down on. Oh, that and whatever you currently pay your copywriter ... double it and see what happens.

P.S. Just to show you the perceived value of the Starbucks cup with its magical copy ... While I was searching for an image for this post my Google image search brought up dozens of cups that people had taken pictures of and posted. The cup and its ideas have enough value for people to want to share them with their friends. Wow, indeed.