Starbucks has long built its brand on a sense of community, which they are taking a step further with a multi-faceted campaign built around their first original content series.
“Upstanders” tells the stories of “ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities,” according to the brand. The stories are told in both video and written forms, discussed during local town hall-style events which are then converted into podcasts and promoted in-store and on the brand’s app, as well as housed on a branded landing page. We’ve also seen the videos shared through a media partnership with Upworthy.
This is a case of a brand that knows how to get out of its own way. The campaign is built around consumers. It tells genuine stories, through a theme that has a bullseye connection back to the brand values. And it’s a smart way for Starbucks to continue to build brand warmth and enlist consumers to share on their behalf.