Free Starbucks Coffee the Day After the Super Bowl

Starbucks knows when we need them most …

Source: Starbucks

The day after the Super Bowl is the biggest sick day of the year. An estimated 26.2 million people will miss work this Monday, tomorrow. We're hungover, exhausted, operating on fumes.

It’s been called “Super Sick Day.”

Starbucks knows this. And for the second year in a row, they're showing up exactly when we need them.

"Everybody Wins" is the campaign name. Free coffee on Monday in a limited edition green cup with nostalgic graphics along with a sneak peek of a new brew that will soon be introduced. And a wink that says, “we got you.”

Genius really.

Also so consistent because this is Starbucks once again positioning itself as the community anchor in a moment of need. Starbucks is the neighborhood coffee shop that understands and is there for you. They know Monday morning will be rough and they are going to make it a little easier. They aren’t the corporate giant from Seattle cheering for their home team the Seahawks. They are right there on your corner, in your corner.

The real magic is in the mechanics … you have to be a Starbucks Rewards Member to get the free cup. So the brand is treating their super fans right, and also giving an incentive for new fans to sign up.

That's the play. Show up when people need you most, giving them a reason to join in your community, and guess what they will.

That’s how you build a relationship and an experience year over year and occasion after occasion.

Can you do that with your brand? What's your experience? JIM