[Starbucks]
[Starbucks]

Starbucks Korea will issue free beverage coupons to all of its rewards members. The move marks the company's first large-scale membership promotion since a marketing controversy surrounding its "Tank Day" event in May drew widespread criticism.

According to industry sources Wednesday, Starbucks is distributing two "summer coupons" to all rewards members — Welcome, Green and Gold tier alike — from Wednesday through Aug. 14.

The coupon package consists of one free handcrafted beverage coupon and one 30 percent discount coupon for food items. The free drink coupon can be redeemed for a tall-size iced Caffe Americano, iced Caffe Latte or iced Vanilla Latte. The food discount coupon applies to select items including sandwiches, cake and fruit.

Members who joined by June 7 received their coupons Wednesday in a single batch, while those who sign up through July 31 will receive theirs on a rolling basis starting the day after enrollment. All coupons are valid through Aug. 14.

Starbucks has long offered a range of membership perks — buy-one-get-one coupons, size-upgrade offers and discounts — timed to seasonal events and new product launches. The summer coupon promotion follows that tradition, designed to give customers a low-barrier reason to visit stores during the peak summer season.

The timing has drawn attention given the marketing controversy that erupted recently. Some customers called for canceling their rewards memberships and sought refunds on their Starbucks card balances. Starbucks app users fell from about 8.19 million in May to about 7.06 million in June, a drop of roughly 1.13 million in a single month.

Industry observers say Starbucks appears to be using the all-member coupon giveaway to drive foot traffic during the summer while working to repair its damaged brand image.

"Membership benefits are one of the most direct ways Starbucks communicates with its customers," an industry official said. "Issuing coupons to all members can be read as a move to rebuild customer touchpoints and restore trust in the brand."


bbo@heraldcorp.com