Welcome to Day 14 of "25 Brands Unwrapped." Throughout this campaign, we are utilizing synthetic personas generated from U.S. government data to conduct deep-dive audits into major global brands.
Today, we analyze Starbucks!
The following data represents the responses from 1,000 synthetic respondents. The survey covers brand perception, leadership sentiment, product value, and competitive threats.
What is the first word that comes to your mind when you hear Starbucks?
Coffee: 80.9%, Expensive: 11.8%, Convenience: 1.6%
How would you describe the "typical" customer of Starbucks?
"Mostly younger, on-the-go people and professionals who prefer convenience and specialty drinks — often urban, busy, and looking for a consistent experience."
"Mostly young professionals and students — people on the go with laptops or phones, grabbing a quick specialty drink and a place to sit for a bit."
"Mostly young professionals and students — people on the go who want a predictable drink and a quick place to grab it."
If you could rename Starbucks to describe what it actually is, what would you call it?
"Corporate Coffeehouse": 15.0%
"Convenience Coffee": 8.3%
"Corporate Coffee": 7.6%
Describe Starbucks in exactly three words.
Convenient (85.9% of respondents)
Expensive (69.6% of respondents)
Consistent (21.6% of respondents)
If you could fire the CEO of Starbucks, would you? (Yes/No) Result:
No: 91.2%
Yes: 8.8%
If you met the CEO of Starbucks, what is the first question you would ask them?
"Why do you charge so much for a cup of coffee?"
"What are you doing to improve pay and working conditions for store employees?"
What is the maximum price (in dollars) you would pay for a product before walking away?
Average Score: $4.96
If you could change one thing about the product, what would it be?
"Lower prices"
"Lower prices and more consistent quality across locations."
What is the one thing we could add to this product that would make it worth double the current price to you?
"Serve small-batch, single-origin brewed-to-order coffee with table service and locally sourced pastries — real craft offerings to justify a much higher price."
"A comfortable, reserved study/lounge area with reliable fast Wi‑Fi and free refills or discounts for frequent customers."
"A true premium subscription: guaranteed fresh, single‑origin beans or barista-made drinks delivered/available with priority service and clear sustainability credentials."
Who is the biggest threat to Starbucks?
"Dunkin' and local independent coffee shops"
What is the best alternative to Starbucks?
"Local independent coffee shops"
"Dunkin'"
"McDonald's"
Why haven’t you switched to a competitor yet?
"Out of habit and convenience — sometimes it's the closest option, and I know what to expect."
"Convenience, consistency, and the rewards program keep me coming back."
On a scale of 0-10, how much do you trust Starbucks?
Average Score: 5.4
Distribution: Score 3: 0.1%, Score 4: 14.8%, Score 5: 34.7%, Score 6: 50.4%
Do you think Starbucks’s best days are ahead of it or behind it?
Ahead: 54.2%
Behind: 45.8%
If Starbucks went out of business tomorrow, would you care? (Yes/No)
No: 98.6%
Yes: 1.4%
Does Starbucks actually care about its customers? (Yes/No)
No: 78.3%
Yes: 21.7%
Do you know the name of Starbucks’s CEO? (Yes/No)
No: 91.5%
Yes: 8.5%
Does the CEO’s public behavior make you less likely to buy from Starbucks? (Yes/No)
No: 68.7%
Yes: 31.3%
Do you think the leadership at Starbucks is competent? (Yes/No)
Yes: 55.4%
No: 44.6%
Is the leadership of Starbucks a liability to the company? (Yes/No)
No: 52.7%
Yes: 47.3%
Do the executives at Starbucks seem out of touch with reality? (Yes/No)
Yes: 77.5%
No: 22.5%
Is Starbucks worth the money? (Yes/No)
No: 96.3%
Yes: 3.7%
If Starbucks raised its prices by 10%, would you still buy it? (Yes/No)
No: 92.3%
Yes: 7.7%
If a competitor offered a similar product at a slightly lower price, how likely would you be to switch? (Likert scale) Average Score: 4.0
Distribution: Score 2: 1.3%, Score 3: 7.1%, Score 4: 76.6%, Score 5: 15.0%
Has the quality of Starbucks declined recently? (Yes/No)
Yes: 67.5%
No: 32.5%
Is Starbucks too "woke"? (Yes/No)
No: 74.2%
Yes: 25.8%
Are you loyal to Starbucks because you like it, or because you’re stuck? (Yes/No)
Not loyal: 53.8%
Like it: 44.5%
Stuck: 1.7%
Do you think Starbucks will exist in 10 years? (Yes/No)
Yes: 100.0%
How likely are you to purchase from Starbucks in the next 6 months?" (Likert Scale: Very Unlikely to Very Likely)
Average Score: 3.0
Distribution: Score 1: 0.7%, Score 2: 29.0%, Score 3: 34.7%, Score 4: 34.7%, Score 5: 0.9%
See you tomorrow for Day 15!