Written Analysis 2 - Starbuck Rituals and Stereotypes

        Over the years Starbucks has acquired stereotypes involving the customers who frequent their establishments. The main stereotypical patrons are white soccer mom’s between the ages of 25 and 45 or college students.  I started doing some digging and found that some of these stereotypes were correct. The gender stereotype is incorrect, with the majority of Starbucks consumers being male (58%) (Sponder, 2010). However, the age range is correct, with 55% of Starbucks patrons being between the ages of 25 and 44 (Sponder, 2010). According to Sponder (2010), men (26-34) were the largest demographic on the west coast, but men (35-44) in North Dakota were the smallest group. I also discovered that the demographics were greatly influenced by geographical location, socioeconomic status, and even political leaning (See Chart 1 & Chart 2).

        Stereotypes are much more varied compared to rituals. Either a place or active is a ritualistic stop or it is sporadic.  Personally, I am a sporadic Starbucks patron; primarily because I cannot drink coffee. Several of my friends, on the other hand, stop daily before coming to work. They do not have time to stop in and spend 30+ minutes enjoying the atmosphere, but rather use Starbucks a coffee pit-stop to get their mornings started off right. When asked why they stop routinely every morning, the responses where fairly unanimous across the board. Even a quick trip in for a cup of coffee feels like a treat or reward for getting out of the house on time. They also like having the ability to choose a different drink if the moods strikes them.

        I believe that any ritual has an emotional connection for that person. For whatever reason, this activity or place elicits a feeling of calm, joy, or luxury. A stereotype is generally influenced by a person’s environment, whether familial or friendships or a combination of the two. Some stereotypes are harmless, even humorous; while other stereotypes are the fuel for hatred. Whatever the reason for the stereotype, I would advise conducting some inquiry into the matter prior to passing judgment.

References

McDonald’s and Starbucks: 43% Yin, 35% Yang. (2009). Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/02/10/mcdonalds-and-starbucks-43-yin-35-yang/

Sponder, M. (2010). PeekYou – Starbucks case study using peekdata reverse URL identity lookups. Web Metrics Guru, Inc. Retrieved from: http://www.webmetricsguru.com/archives/2010/09/peekyou-starbucks-case-study-using-peekdata-reverse-url-indentity-lookups-social-media-monitoring-platforms-will-improve-when-using-this-data/will-improve-when-using-this-data/