I’m sitting in Starbucks, my Blackberry stuffed at the bottom of my enormous handbag so I don’t feel tempted to have a quick look. I usually go to a cafe where they haven’t got ‘free wifi’ to write a blogpost, as I simply get too distracted in the office. Phone calls, emails from clients, ooo just need to read this blogpost, answer this tweet. My life is full of interaction in every shape and form, my job demands it, I need to know what’s going on. But when I write I need to cut it all off, not that my writing is ‘journalist class’ and I need silence to get my creativity out, I’m in Starbucks for goodness sake, couldn’t get more noisy if you tried.

Looking around I pretty much see people from every walks of life; babies, mothers, teenagers (with weird neon painting on their faces, god knows what that’s about), a workman in dirty trousers, a business man and in the corner two “ladies that lunches” both with Prada bags. Starbucks pretty much represents the “main stream”, not in a negative way, to me “main stream” simply means something or someone that appeals to people from all walks of life. So how did Starbucks get so massive, why do people like it so much? Sipping my coffee I’m thinking it can’t possibly be because of the coffee, Costa does far superior coffee! I personally think the success of the massive brand that Starbucks has become is mostly due to; positive association, a brand built with people in mind (And on a different note, timing probably had a lot to do with their success, if you haven’t read “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell I recommend it). But my point isn’t to analyse Starbucks success, although I realise my initial rambling might suggest just that. What I am interested in is how you target the “main stream”, how you reach the Starbucks audience, and more specifically how you can do that online. (more…)