photo by esparta
Ah, the power of communication. A new Stanford study of consumer behavior at Starbucks shows that posting calories on the chain’s menu boards lowers customers’ calorie counts without substantially affecting revenue. Sounds like a win-win to me.
Based on transaction data from Starbucks locations in New York, Boston and Philadelphia, the study found that calorie postings led to a six percent reduction in calories per transaction. Interestingly, almost all of the change related to food purchases; average beverage calories remained pretty much unchanged. Hard to break that Grande Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino® habit, I guess (430 calories with whipped cream, by the way).
Since changing behavior is a huge part of marketing, you might ask yourself what simple communication steps you might take to move the needle. It doesn’t have to cost much, and even modest results could have a dramatic impact on your organization.
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Stanford study: Starbucks posts calorie counts, revenue rises. http://bit.ly/9NsZPf
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I worked with a client who wanted to increase uptake of a new tool internally. We pulled the names of the people who were not yet using the tool and sent them an email from a trusted leader. We told them the benefits of the tool and asked them to give it a try. We also promised a small donation to a charity in the names of the first 200 ppl to install the tool & prove they were using it (post a link). We got an uptick in usage of nearly 7% just from that one message.
Sometimes simple and direct is the way to go.
Great example. Sometimes we get so caught up with building complex strategies that we overlook the simple, immediate steps we can take that might generate the response we’re looking for. Thanks for sharing this.
I once read a diary of an overweight man trying to get slim. He first decided to record all the amount of calories he consume each day. He was addicted to 7-11 food so that was easy – each package shows that information. He did not change his eating habit at all, though. Six months later, he found himself 10kg less (he weighted over 150kg, but still that is an amazing feat). That gave him confidence and a few years later he is at 60kg or so. And stable. Your entry reminded me of that story, thank you.
Interesting thoughts on Marketing. How Simple Communication Makes You Thinner http://bit.ly/d2wWk3
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