More than Just a Drink: Behind Starbucks’ Unicorn Frappuccino PR Success
September 3, 2017 | Category: Public Relations
Coffee chain Starbucks has been at the center of attention over the past week. All because of a weird colorful and calorie-dense new drink called the Unicorn Frappuccino.
Available only from April 19 to April 23, the Unicorn Frappuccino became an instant sensation, generating a slew of media coverage and more than 180,000 Instagram impressions in just one week.
All this of course translated into millions of dollars of free publicity for Starbucks.
However, the success of the Unicorn Frappuccino’s PR campaign was no accident. According to Starbuck’s spokesperson, their team looked at other “fun, spirited and colorful unicorn-themed food and drinks that have been trending on social media.”
The color- and taste-changing drink might not have had the best taste, but it was purposefully designed to be incredibly photogenic, which made it perfect for Instagram users, who used it as inspiration for a variety of things, including hairstyles, nail polish and even cakes!
By being able to tap into one of modern popculture’s most viral phenomena in an unusual and playful way, as well as making its idea social media friendly, Starbucks was able to create one of the most successful PR campaigns of 2017.
And although the Unicorn Frappuccino is officially off the menu, something tells us this is not the last time we hear of this unusual concoction.