On the 12th Day of Christmas, Starbucks Gave to Me…

It’s day 2 of our exploration of new and exciting ways to garner attention and increase in-store traffic during the inevitable lag that occurs between Black Friday and Christmas Eve (Read the first here).

Starbucks is no stranger to integrated marketing innovation, especially during the holidays. At the onset of the season, they launched an in-store promo in Augmented Reality. Now, as the holiday hustle and bustle hums along, Starbucks is beckoning wary shoppers in for more than just a re-charge of caffeine.

Introducing, Starbucks’ 12 Days of Gifting!

While your true love showers you with drummers drumming and turtle doves, Starbucks has something else in mind. December 1^st through 12^th, store baristas will be serving up more than the usual mocha and latte. 12 different products - a different promo every day. “Why?” you ask?

The National Retail Federation (NRF) projects 2011 holiday retail sales to reach $456.6B, up 2.8% from 2010 (way-cool infografic).

Starbucks wants a piece of that pie.

With “12 Days,” Starbucks showcases their growing collection of gift-able products; reminding regulars and rookies alike that they have evolved beyond coffee. “12 Days” transforms cafés into stores, encouraging patrons to step out of the drink queue and peruse the shelves.

When it comes to coffee shops, the competition is heavy. But with an increasing line of packaged products, music and gifts, Starbucks sets itself apart in a saturated market.

And on the Web, a Virtual (and Secular) Advent Calendar!

It wouldn’t be a Starbucks event if it didn’t have an interactive component! The merry.starbucks.com subdomain is just the place to fall in love with the “12 Days” promotion.  

Floating merrily across the top of the screen is a red bird. He carries with him an offer to opt-in to Starbucks’ mobile campaigns.

Cursor over the ornaments on the tree to reveal offers missed or those to come (and enjoy the pleasant ring of bells). Click the ribbon at the base of the tree and day transforms to night, the tree illuminates, and the offer board falls away, revealing Starbucks’ growing cast of Holiday characters.  

For Starbucks, the web component is a crucial part of packaging the promotion – the added “magic” of online interaction makes the whole event more delightful – and hopefully, more enticing to buy.

What do you think?

Will “12 Days” encourage regulars to pick up more than stocking stuffing gift cards this year?