meet me at starbucks case study answers

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Decoding The Starbucks Marketing Strategy: A Complete Guide

By Aditya Shastri

Quick Read   Discover how Starbucks has perfected its marketing strategy to dominate the coffee industry. This Starbucks case study delves into its innovative marketing techniques, digital strategy, and recent campaigns, showcasing why it remains a market leader.

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About Starbucks

Established in 1971 in Seattle, Washington, Starbucks began as a lone storefront specializing in premium coffee beans and equipment. It has grown into a global coffeehouse chain with over 30,000 locations worldwide. The company’s mission is to uplift and nourish the human spirit—one individual, one cup of coffee, and one community at a time. Known for its commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing, Starbucks is a pioneer in creating a unique coffee culture.

Source: Google

Relevant Updated Statistics

• As of 2023, Starbucks operates in over 80 countries with 33,833 stores globally【source: Statista】
• Starbucks’ revenue for 2022 reached $29.06 billion, a 24% increase from the previous year【source: Starbucks Annual Report 2022】
• The brand’s loyalty program, Starbucks Rewards, has over 24.8 million active members in the United States【source: Starbucks Investor Relations】.

What’s New With Starbucks

Business news.

Starbucks announced plans to open 1,000 new stores in China by 2025, strengthening its presence in one of its fastest-growing markets.

Product Launch

In 2023, Starbucks introduced the Oleato range, featuring coffee infused with olive oil, a bold new addition to their beverage lineup.

Marketing News

Have you ever been called the wrong name? It might seem like a minor detail, but for transgender and non-binary individuals, it can be a daily experience. Starbucks recognized this in their powerful campaign, “Every Name’s a Story.”  This campaign wasn’t just about selling coffee – it was about celebrating inclusivity and diversity.

Celebrity News

In collaboration with singer Taylor Swift, Starbucks promoted the ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ album by featuring her favourite drink, the Caramel Nonfat Latte, in stores worldwide.

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But for now, let us continue with our case study on the marketing strategy of Starbucks.

Starbucks Target Market

Starbucks, a premium coffee brand, strategically positions itself in the market with a keen focus on high-income spenders and health-conscious professionals. The market positioning of Starbucks is evident in its appeal to urban, on-the-go consumers seeking quality coffee and a tranquil environment to unwind.

This market positioning of Starbucks attracts a diverse clientele, including technology early adopters and those flexible to change, primarily aged 25-45. Starbucks’ success is built on a deep understanding of its target audience.

This allows them to constantly adapt their offerings and marketing strategies to meet evolving consumer trends and preferences.  This case study will explore how Starbucks uses this knowledge to stay ahead of the curve.

This approach underscores Starbucks’ commitment to reaching beyond the storefront, offering not just coffee but an experience tailored to its discerning clientele.So summed up, their target audience is-

• High-income spenders
• Technology early adopters
• Health-conscious professionals
• Flexible to change
• Reaching beyond the storefront (Online Sales & Engagement)

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Buyer Persona

To provide a clearer understanding of Starbucks’ target audience, refer to the Buyer Persona outlined in our Starbucks case study blog.

Buyer’s Persona

Profession:

Web-Developer

• Seeking a premium coffee experience
• Interested in sustainable and ethically sourced products
• Value convenience and loyalty rewards

Interest & Hobbies

• Enjoying quality time at coffee shops
• Passionate about environmental causes
• Engaged in social media and digital trends

Pain Points

• High prices compared to local coffee shops
• Limited seating in busy locations
• Preference for non-dairy or alternative milk options

Social Media Presence

Starbucks in india.

In the 2010s, Starbucks’ marketing strategy focused on entering the Indian market to capitalize on the ever-growing coffee culture, particularly targeting the niche upper-class segment. Despite an initial announcement in 2007, Starbucks withdrew its plans without explanation, finally making a grand entry in 2011. To establish a strong foothold, the world’s biggest bistro chain forged a 50-50 joint venture with Asia’s largest coffee grower, Tata Consumer Products Limited, for their Starbucks coffee marketing strategy.

Successfully launching its brand, Starbucks’ next critical move was to meticulously define and engage its target audience in India, ensuring sustainable growth and market presence. This strategic approach, outlined in this Starbucks case study, highlights its methodical entry into the Indian market and the partnership that facilitated its successful establishment in the region.

Now, without further ado, let’s get straight into Starbucks’s marketing tactics, exploring their strategic approaches and methods in the market.

Marketing Strategies of Starbucks

Initially, Starbucks’s marketing tactics in India focused on segmenting consumer markets on a socio-economic basis, targeting working professionals seeking a soothing workspace. They strategically placed stores in locations where this demographic was prevalent.

Like many companies entering new markets, Starbucks started with a single segment and expanded upon achieving initial success. Over time, they diversified their target audience to include teenagers and young adults, bolstering their Starbucks coffee marketing strategy through product range expansion and enhanced social media presence.

The market positioning of Starbucks hinges on delivering a unique, differentiated experience that solidifies its reputation as a highly esteemed brand. Their marketing mix integrates digital technology and social media extensively, engaging the modern, tech-savvy generation for promotions and customer interaction.

This approach has not only fortified their brand identity but also fostered a deep connection with their diverse customer base.

Note: To enhance your expertise, you can explore various courses on digital marketing online that provide in-depth knowledge and the latest industry trends.

Digital Expansion

One of the key priorities of Starbucks’s marketing strategy is expanding its digital interactions with customers. To achieve this goal, it implements several strategies to attract digitally registered customers beyond the rewards program. For example, the coffee chain is offering mobile order services and leveraging Wi-Fi sign-ins at its physical stores.

Starbucks Social Media Strategy

Most people are familiar with Starbucks on social media. The company features several social media accounts that are known for their distinctive branding, interactive posts, and visually pleasing content. The diverse range of content includes recipes, photography, articles, and features. But there’s more than meets the eye. The stream of content can be broken down into a series of campaigns geared at creating a greater sense of Starbucks marketing techniques, enhancing brand awareness, and fostering a sense of community.

Starbucks Product-based Marketing Campaigns

The company focuses on promoting unique and fan-favourite beverages as part of its Starbucks coffee marketing strategy. The brand understands the popularity of its flagship items, particularly the Pumpkin Spiced Latte and Frappuccino, and recognises the demand for this type of content among its audience.

They have even established dedicated social media accounts for these customer favourites, where they actively share relevant and relatable memes to engage their loyal fan base. Additionally, Starbucks leverages user-generated content (UGC), often featuring consumer images of visually appealing products like the Unicorn Frappuccino.

These images are not only reshared across official channels but also incorporated into influencer campaigns, further amplifying their digital marketing efforts.

Starbucks Corporate Social Responsibility-based campaign

Starbucks’ marketing tactics involve leveraging social change as a tool, positioning itself as open-minded and inclusive. One notable example is the #ExtraShotOfPride campaign, which actively supports the LGBT+ community.

Community-based campaigns

#RedCupArt campaign

Another facet of Starbucks’s marketing strategy is its emphasis on highlighting individuals and communities. Take a look at the #RedCupArt campaign, which not only increases engagement but also provides them with a library of UGC content. They use storytelling to showcase acts of courage and kindness in American communities, localizing the content.

Starbucks’s marketing techniques consciously humanize the company by sharing stories on their account, spotlighting employees who play an essential role, especially when consumers are distrustful of big brands.

Just like Starbucks coffeehouses fostered a sense of community in person, their online coffee content creates a similar social experience. This reflects their pioneering role in shaping modern coffee culture.

Festive Marketing

Starbucks has also initiated a new seasonal whole-bean coffee, #StarbucksDiwaliBlend, for its consumers across the country and select global markets. The latest exquisite blend is hand-picked and sourced from Tata Estates in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Starbucks Diwali Blend was intended as a tribute to the region’s rich and cultural coffee heritage and expertise. They launched the #SketchTheBlend campaign where customers have to share their creativity on the Diwali Blend cup and sleeve and could win 5 free beverages.

Now that you understand the various strategies that comprehensively contribute to their top-notch Starbucks coffee marketing strategy. Let’s dive deeper and analyse their overall digital presence.

Digital Marketing Strategies

Seo (search engine optimization) strategy:.

Starbucks’s marketing tactics involve optimising its online presence by incorporating relevant keywords, high-quality content, and a user-friendly website to improve search engine rankings.

Social Media Marketing  Strategy:

Starbuck’s marketing strategy includes actively engaging with customers on social media platforms, by running targeted ads and interactive content to boost engagement. The brand actively engages with customers on social media platforms, running targeted ads and interactive content to boost engagement.

E-commerce Strategy:

Starbucks’ online store offers a seamless shopping experience, from purchasing coffee beans and equipment to ordering ready-to-drink products.

Mobile App:

The Starbucks mobile app enhances customer convenience with features like mobile ordering, payment, and rewards tracking, showcasing a key aspect of Starbucks’s coffee marketing strategy.

Influencer Marketing Strategy:

Collaborating with influencers and celebrities, Starbucks effectively reaches a broader audience and creates buzz around new product launches and campaigns.

Bonus: Enrolling in a digital marketing course can provide you with the essential skills and knowledge to understand and implement successful strategies, much like those employed by Starbucks.

Starbucks knows its audience is technologically advanced, which makes it imperative for them to have a strong digital marketing strategy. It’s clear how Starbucks prefers marketing on platforms where they have two-way communication instead of platforms like print and television which is more of a one-way communication.

Marketing and Advertising Campaigns

One of Starbucks’ most famous campaigns is “Meet Me at Starbucks,” a global initiative that highlights the diverse ways people connect at their stores. The campaign emphasized the brand’s mission to foster human connection and resulted in increased customer engagement and brand loyalty.

Starbucks launched its social media campaign in 2 phases. The first phase was where they asked their customers to share their ways of reconnecting amidst the pandemic and share their favourite Starbucks memories on their personal Instagram handles with the hashtag Starbucks advertising strategy. In the second phase- ‘Half Cup Full’- they asked their customers to comment on their favourite beverage on the post. They then sent these customers voice notes of baristas hollering the customers’ names along with their favourite beverage to remind them of the famous in-store experience.

This was a great campaign as it not only reminded the people of all the good memories with Starbucks but also made them feel important and valued.

Campaign Analysis:

Starbucks employs a variety of marketing techniques to maintain its market positioning. These include personalised marketing through their rewards program, located store experiences, and a focus on sustainability. Their recent ‘Every Name’s a Story’ campaign is an excellent example of leveraging social issues to build brand loyalty.

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Failed Campaigns

#racetogether campaign.

The campaign aimed to spark conversations about race by having baristas write “Race Together” on cups, which was met with widespread criticism.

Customers and employees felt uncomfortable and questioned the appropriateness of discussing such a sensitive topic in a coffee shop setting.

Starbucks quickly scaled back the campaign, focusing instead on internal initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion.

Top Competitors

In this Starbucks case study, we will explore its competitors and how Starbucks consistently rises above them, showcasing its resilient Starbucks marketing strategy.

Dunkin’ Donuts

Renowned for its extensive range of coffee blends and delectable baked goods, Dunkin’ Donuts has established itself as a favourite among coffee enthusiasts and snack lovers alike.

McDonald’s coffeehouse brand offers a budget-friendly assortment of coffee beverages, providing customers with a convenient and affordable coffee experience alongside their meals.

Costa Coffee

A prominent British coffeehouse chain, Costa Coffee is celebrated for its European presence and commitment to delivering quality coffee in a cosy café atmosphere.

Peet’s Coffee

Known for its artisanal approach to coffee roasting, Peet’s Coffee specialises in high-quality, hand-roasted beans that cater to discerning coffee connoisseurs seeking exceptional flavour profiles.

Tim Hortons

A beloved Canadian institution, Tim Hortons is cherished for its signature coffee blends and freshly baked doughnuts, offering a comforting taste of Canadian hospitality to customers nationwide.

Be it Starbucks or any other company, competition is everywhere. So if you are someone who likes doing research on competitor analysis for other companies, let me help you out. Check out these case studies on the marketing strategy of Jollibee , McDonald’s marketing strategy and the marketing strategy of Dunkin Donuts .

In conclusion, Starbucks’ marketing strategy is a testament to its success in the coffee industry. By focusing on high-income spenders, urban professionals, and tech-savvy individuals, Starbucks has effectively positioned itself as a premium brand.

Their innovative campaigns, such as ‘Every Name’s a Story’ and ‘Meet Me at Starbucks,’ highlight their commitment to inclusivity and human connection. The integration of digital strategies, social media engagement, and a robust rewards program further strengthens their market presence.

By continuously adapting to consumer trends and leveraging strategic partnerships, Starbucks remains a leader in the global coffee market.

Additional Information

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Alternatively, if you’re interested in the world of social media, our Free Instagram Marketing Course might be the perfect fit.

Lastly, if you enjoyed this blog, we recommend exploring our digital marketing case studies. We’ve covered some of the best companies out there. A few the examples are marketing strategy of Amazon , the marketing strategy of Red Bull and the marketing strategy of LinkedIn .

Don’t forget to check out our digital marketing blogs as well. You might find your perfect course among them!

We appreciate you reading this blog. Comment down below if you want more such case studies.

Frequently Asked Questions- Marketing Strategy Of Starbucks

Starbucks' mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup, and one neighbourhood at a time.

Starbucks operates over 32,000 stores worldwide, making it one of the largest coffeehouse chains globally, known for its extensive global presence and accessibility.

Starbucks' latest product launch includes a range of summer-inspired beverages like the Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink and the Nitro Cold Brew with Salted Honey Cold Foam.

Starbucks' main competitors include Dunkin' Donuts, McCafé (McDonald's coffeehouse brand), Costa Coffee, Peet's Coffee, and Tim Hortons, each vying for market share in the coffee and quick-service restaurant industries.

The Starbucks Rewards program is a loyalty program where customers earn points (stars) for purchases, which can be redeemed for free drinks and food items, along with personalised offers and early access to new products.

Through initiatives like ethically sourced coffee, reducing waste, and promoting recycling.

The 'Race Together' campaign was an initiative by Starbucks aimed at sparking conversations about race relations. It encouraged employees to write ‘Race Together’ on cups to prompt dialogue among customers and staff.

Starbucks' digital marketing strategy leverages social media platforms and mobile apps to engage customers with personalised offers, loyalty programs, and interactive content, enhancing brand visibility and customer experience.

Starbucks' target audience is motivated by quality coffee, a cosy ambience, and a sense of community fostered by the brand's commitment to social responsibility and customer-centric experiences.

Starbucks leverages social media to engage customers through creative campaigns, customer interactions, and promotions, enhancing brand visibility and fostering a sense of community among coffee enthusiasts worldwide.

Author's Note: My name is Aditya Shastri and I have written this case study with the help of my students from IIDE's online digital marketing courses in India . Practical assignments, case studies & simulations helped the students from this course present this analysis. Building on this practical approach, we are now introducing a new dimension for our online digital marketing course learners - the Campus Immersion Experience. If you found this case study helpful, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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Aditya Shastri

Lead Trainer & Head of Learning & Development at IIDE

Leads the Learning & Development segment at IIDE. He is a Content Marketing Expert and has trained 6000+ students and working professionals on various topics of Digital Marketing. He has been a guest speaker at prominent colleges in India including IIMs...... [Read full bio]

Clicking on the image of the Starbucks cup is my thing too. This blog provides great and deep insights into their strategy.

Starbucks marketing strategy brewed! served! and I’m here for it!

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No Office? No Problem. Meet Me at Starbucks

January 05, 2018 • 6 min read

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By Bonnie Rochman / Starbucks Newsroom

The business plan took shape over a laptop, a latte and a chocolate chip cookie. On evenings and weekends, Joel Gascoigne would meet friends at a coffee shop in Birmingham, U.K., where they’d congregate at wooden tables, warm a hodgepodge of mismatched chairs and nurture a side of entrepreneurism.

Coffee fueled him. The other customers motivated him. With electronic music pulsing through his headphones, Gascoigne started up his start-up, Buffer, a social media management platform for small businesses.

He launched in 2010, growing to 50,000 paying customers, which made it worthwhile to open an office in San Francisco, where Buffer’s employees could convene. But Buffer closed down that office two years ago after realizing that no one really wanted to be there: Coffee shops proved a more attractive venue for getting the job done.

“It’s worked really well for productivity,” said Gascoigne, who now lives in New York City. “It’s great for how fulfilled people feel and that translates to loyalty because they can choose the ideal environment for getting work done.”

Bob Sullivan, one of 15 million or so Americans who are self-employed, considers Starbucks “the world’s conference room” – and his office. “It helps to be in an atmosphere where other people are doing stuff,” said Sullivan, a Washington, D.C.-based business and technology freelancer and author. “Those people mean business and it helps you to mean business too.”

For years, coffee shops have been the de facto workplace of Freelance Nation. The atmosphere is social (you’re surrounded by people) but not too social (you don’t usually know the people). There are no regularly scheduled meetings to attend and no co-workers to distract you in the break room. While it’s unlikely that major corporations are going to start canceling their leases, an increasing number of small businesses are allowing employees to work from coffee shops because they recognize that offices can stifle creativity. (Last year, in an acknowledgement that many employees hold business-related tête-à-têtes at coffee shops, Microsoft Outlook introduced a new feature that allows users to schedule a meeting at Starbucks.)

It’s not just a whimsical, hip trend. There’s actual science behind the relationship between work and coffee shops.

One day several years ago, Ph.D. student Ravi Mehta joined colleagues in a Starbucks located in some big, bustling hotel lobby so nondescript he doesn’t even remember where it was. They were there to brainstorm concepts for potential research projects, but one colleague protested that it was too noisy; there was simply no way they would be able to come up with good ideas. And that got Mehta thinking: “Maybe we should study this.”

After all, Mehta himself has always preferred to get work done in coffee shops rather than, say, libraries. Even when he’s at the office — he’s now associate professor in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — he sits in his building’s atrium to bask in the academic hustle and bustle. “When there’s very little noise, you focus too hard on a job,” he said.

To determine how distraction affects the brain, Mehta and his colleagues examined different levels of noise on research participants’ ability to generate ideas for new products. They reached the conclusion that a moderate level of noise, such as the music and conversation that suffuse your average coffee house, provides a commensurately moderate level of distraction that actually elevates your thinking to a higher plane. The steady hum promotes more abstract thinking, activating the subconscious and facilitating creative problem-solving — the kind involved in coming up with new ideas, not technical analysis.

In 2012, Mehta co-authored a paper published in The Journal of Consumer Research that presented these findings and read like a love letter to coffee shops in the gig economy.

Coffee shop chatter? There’s an app for that

It’s that research that Ace Callwood and his business partner, Justin Kauszler, discovered shortly after they graduated in 2012 from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Both freelancers, they needed a place to work and found that they gravitated to coffee shops. Curious about why, they started digging around online and found Mehta’s study.

Suddenly, it all made sense. Background chatter and clatter didn’t only help them concentrate; a bona fide peer-reviewed study had validated the effect. “The question we had been asking was how do we facilitate the opportunity to do good work as often as possible? Now we knew,” said Callwood, who responded by launching Coffitivity, an app that provides coffee shop buzz in the form of recorded audio to help workers focus when they’re not able to make it into a real, live café.

“Justin said this is the thing we should do,” said Callwood, who is creative director. “I told him it was dumb.”

He’s since changed his tune. Since its launch in 2013, Callwood says 5.5 million people have used Coffitivity, a mash-up of “coffee” and “creativity.”

Users can choose audio from the VCU business school coffee shop and from additional locations including Texas (“Texas Teahouse”), France (“Paris Paradise”) and Brazil (“Brazil Bistro”). The selections are mixed and scrambled so that listeners can’t follow any one particular conversation, which is what gets distracting as anyone who’s sat beside someone talking loudly on a cell phone can attest. Subscribing costs $9 a year, although some soundtracks are free.

“We are coffee shop crusaders, as we see it,” says Callwood.

Coffee has fueled ideas for centuries. One of America’s most prolific inventors, Benjamin Franklin, convened his Club of Honest Whigs, a group devoted to the discussion of philosophy and science, at St. Paul’s Coffeehouse in London, and later the London Coffeehouse, during the years he worked in the British capital as a colonial representative of several U.S. states. The first coffee houses sprang up in the 1500s in the Middle East, the birthplace of the coffee trade. The cafes served as social outlets and as venues for the exchange of information, which led to them being known as “Schools of the Wise.” Today, of course, modern-day customers access wisdom in coffee shops via Internet connections available in nearly every café.

Adding productivity

Once upon a time, coffee shops frowned upon workers camping out for hours in a row. But in 2009, Starbucks began offering free, unlimited Wi-Fi at its stores, an acknowledgement that customers who can pull out their laptops are more apt to stay longer — and hopefully drink and eat more. Many other establishments followed their lead, if they hadn’t already had a similar policy in place. “Having an Internet connection should be as frictionless as possible,” said Adam Brotman, Starbucks executive vice president of global retail operations. Brotman, who led the transition to free Wi-Fi, said that offering complimentary online access dovetails with Starbucks’ mission to serve as a “third place” in a world where the way that work gets done is fast evolving.

“This is who we are,” said Brotman. “Our environment is so much more than just a place to enjoy your beverage or food. We provide a comfortable venue where you can be alone or with other people and think and do work. That’s always been the case, but it’s more important than ever now that work is so modular and bite-sized.” Of course, there’s an unwritten code among those who ply their trade at coffee shops: buying the cheapest cuppa on the menu and relying on multiple free refills is bad form.

On a typical day, Sullivan, the writer, rotates among several coffee shops, moving from one to another at least once a day, and placing an order wherever he goes. His go-to location is the Starbucks across from the National Zoo, which can get packed with tourists on a warm, sunny afternoon but at other times provides the perfect set-up for Sullivan, who walks or bikes there from his home. “Since I grew up writing in newsrooms, I need to be around people,” said Sullivan, who has written four business books. “Everyone who goes solo and leaves the workplace misses having coworkers. A coffee shop provides that.”

Coffee and creativity

It’s not just about camaraderie. Eileen Chou, an associate professor of public policy at the University of Virginia, documented in a 2016 study in the Journal of Behavioral Decision Making that the mere presence of other people encourages us to take more risks. Now she’s extending that research to explore whether the presence of others can spur people not only to live on the edge but to think outside the box when working toward solutions. Chou is specifically looking at the impact on creativity of working alongside others in coffee shops. “When we’re around others, it gives us a sense of security,” said Chou. “Being in the presence of others could help us come up with better innovative solutions to existing problems.”

Another critical component of creativity is autonomy. “If you have to show up to work in a cubicle, that can stifle creativity,” said Chou. “The option of freely choosing which coffee shop to go to fulfills that need for autonomy so we can be creative.”

Importing the benefits

Even companies that remain office-centric are acknowledging the value of the coffee shop vibe and bringing cafes in house. Google Coffee Lab serves free espresso drinks and pastries to employees at its Mountain View, Calif., campus. The eighth floor of the Starbucks Support Center, the company’s headquarters in Seattle, features a full-scale Starbucks store that doubles as a common meeting spot. And a leading manufacturer of workplace furniture routinely suggests that companies incorporate what they call “WorkCafes” into office redesigns.

For those employees not lucky enough to be masters of their own domains, Steelcase, which designs office furniture, is bringing the coffee shop to them. In 2010, after a review of how to forge more meaningful connections between employees, company leaders came up with the idea of a WorkCafe. At their Grand Rapids, Mich., headquarters, the café model combines the old model of the corporate cafeteria and extends it to casual spaces, conference rooms, booths to take private phone calls and even an outdoor fireplace, all centered around an open floor plan. When Steelcase saw how enthusiastically their own workers responded, they began pitching the concept to customers. “It’s a great recruiting tool,” said Cherie Johnson, Steelcase’s director of global design. “It enables workers to have the freedom to choose where they work best. Coffee is a social lubricant. No matter if you’re an introvert or an extrovert, you can always come together around coffee and food.”

Starbucks to lead first-ever city-wide reusable cup project in California with NextGen Consortium 

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Implicit Bias

Implicit bias exists when people unconsciously hold attitudes toward others or associate stereotypes with them.

Discussion Questions

1. In a presentation, Professor Will Cox shows two news photos published in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  One shows a young black man walking through swirling water holding a carton of soda.  The other shows a white couple in similar water, holding a bag of bread.  The caption for the photos read, respectively:  “A young man walks through chest-deep water after looting a grocery store” and “Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda.”  Do you think the writers of these captions thought of themselves as racist?

2. Studies show that Latinos receive less pain medication than similarly-situated white patients, that elderly women receive fewer life-saving interventions than elderly men, and that obese children are more likely to be assumed by teachers to be less intelligent than slim children.  Are these examples of implicit bias?

3. Can you think of examples of implicit bias?

4.Do you think that implicit bias is a serious problem?  If so, is it more serious than explicit bias?

Case Studies

Meet Me at Starbucks

Two black men were arrested after an employee called the police on them, prompting Starbucks to implement “racial-bias” training across all its stores.

Teaching Notes

This video introduces the behavioral ethics bias known as implicit bias.  Implicit bias exists when people unconsciously hold attitudes toward others or associate stereotypes with them.  People’s implicit bias may run counter to their conscious beliefs without their realizing it.  Implicit bias is also known as unconscious bias or implicit social cognition.

In teaching implicit bias, it may be a good idea to send your students to Harvard’s Project Implicit website so that they themselves may take one or more of the tests that provide some (not all) of the academic evidence for implicit bias:  https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ .  Be aware that while there is widespread acceptance of the phenomenon of implicit bias, there is criticism of the evidence coming from this particular set of tests.  Two of the academics behind Project Implicit, Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald wrote Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People (Delacorte Press 2013), which is a very accessible book on the topic.  Another very accessible source is a March 27, 2018 article in Scientific American by psychologists Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, and John Doris entitled “How to Think about “Implicit Bias,” at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-think-about-implicit-bias/ .

Accepting the fact of implicit bias should not be too difficult if you view our Concepts Unwrapped videos on several other kinds of bias generated by the human brain, including the Conformity Bias, the Self-Serving Bias, and the Overconfidence Bias.

An important issue in the ethics of “Big Data” and artificial intelligence has to do with the implicit bias that might affect the creating of algorithms and the analysis of data.  Cathy O’Neil discusses this at length in her book Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy (Broadway Books 2016).  A quick search of the internet on the topic “implicit bias and artificial intelligence” will bring up many sources for a fruitful discussion of this important topic.  One controversial example is the fact that some versions of facial recognition software seem to be much more accurate when assessing white male faces than black female faces.  This can have significant consequences when such software is deployed in the real world by police officers, insurance companies and others.

An interesting article is WGBH News “Addressing Gender and Racial Bias in Facial Recognition Technology, available at: https://www.wgbh.org/news/2018/03/21/science-and-technology/addressing-gender-and-racial-bias-facial-recognition-technology .

The “ Meet Me at Starbucks ” case study that accompanies this video seems to be an informative example of implicit bias in action and an inspiring example of a company trying in good faith to at least begin to address the problem.

Additional Resources

The latest resource from Ethics Unwrapped is a book, Behavioral Ethics in Practice: Why We Sometimes Make the Wrong Decisions , written by Cara Biasucci and Robert Prentice. This accessible book is amply footnoted with behavioral ethics studies and associated research. It also includes suggestions at the end of each chapter for related Ethics Unwrapped videos and case studies. Some instructors use this resource to educate themselves, while others use it in lieu of (or in addition to) a textbook.

Cara Biasucci also recently wrote a chapter on integrating Ethics Unwrapped in higher education, which can be found in the latest edition of  Teaching Ethics: Instructional Models, Methods and Modalities for University Studies . The chapter includes examples of how Ethics Unwrapped is used at various universities.

The most recent article written by Cara Biasucci and Robert Prentice describes the basics of behavioral ethics and introduces Ethics Unwrapped videos and supporting materials along with teaching examples. It also includes data on the efficacy of Ethics Unwrapped for improving ethics pedagogy across disciplines. Published in  Journal of Business Law and Ethics Pedagogy  (Vol. 1, August 2018), it can be downloaded here: “ Teaching Behavioral Ethics (Using “Ethics Unwrapped” Videos and Educational Materials) .”

An article written by Ethics Unwrapped authors Minette Drumwright, Robert Prentice, and Cara Biasucci introduce key concepts in behavioral ethics and approaches to effective ethics instruction—including sample classroom assignments. Published in the  Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education,  it can be downloaded here: “ Behavioral Ethics and Teaching Ethical Decision Making .”

A detailed article written by Robert Prentice, with extensive resources for teaching behavioral ethics, was published in  Journal of Legal Studies Education and can be downloaded here: “ Teaching Behavioral Ethics .”

Another article by Robert Prentice, discussing how behavioral ethics can improve the ethicality of human decision-making, was published in the  Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics & Public Policy . It can be downloaded here: “ Behavioral Ethics: Can It Help Lawyers (And Others) Be their Best Selves? ”

A dated (but still serviceable) introductory article about teaching behavioral ethics can be accessed through Google Scholar by searching: Prentice, Robert A. 2004. “ Teaching Ethics, Heuristics, and Biases .”   Journal of Business Ethics Education  1 (1): 57-74.

Transcript of Narration

Written and Narrated by

Robert Prentice , J.D. Business, Government & Society Department McCombs School of Business The University of Texas at Austin

“Implicit bias” exists when we unconsciously hold attitudes towards others or associate stereotypes with them.  For example, we often harbor negative stereotypes about others without consciously realizing that we do so.

Implicit bias, also called “unconscious bias” or “implicit social cognition,” is a prejudice that is deep-seated within the brain, below the conscious level.  Studies have demonstrated implicit bias against racial groups, genders, LGBTQ, and other marginalized groups.  We may even be prejudiced against our own group, although we tend to favor our in-group with positive stereotypes and disfavor out-groups with negative stereotypes.

Implicit bias often runs counter to people’s conscious, expressed beliefs.  Few physicians espouse racially discriminatory views, yet doctors tend to recommend less pain medication for black patients than for white patients with the identical injury.  In other words, people can be explicitly unbiased, yet implicitly biased, according to psychologist Daniel Kelly and colleagues.

Implicit bias has been found in a large array of studies using various tests, but much of the evidence for the phenomenon comes from Harvard University’s Project Implicit website, home of the Implicit Association Test , or the IAT.  Literally millions of people have visited this site and taken various tests that ask them to respond rapidly to questions that require them to associate blacks or whites, or males or females, or young or old, etc., with positive or negative words.  Professor Nosek and colleagues tested more than 700,000 subjects and found that more than 70% of white subjects more easily associated white faces with positive words and black faces with negative words, concluding that this was evidence of implicit racial bias.  In fact, additional evidence indicates that measures of implicit bias better predict people’s conduct than measures of explicit bias.

Here is some good news.  Various scientists have criticized the IAT.  They point out, for example, that individuals who take the test on different dates often score substantially differently.  Even IAT supporters admit that implicit bias, at least as demonstrated by the test, is widespread but relatively minor and has only a small impact upon people’s real-world actions.  In other words, the results of the test are not strong enough to predict particular behaviors by individual people. However, let’s not get too comfortable.  Even if the IAT cannot predict the future conduct of any one individual on a given occasion, it still indicates how groups of people will act on average, and that is worrisome. For example, few people openly advocate for discrimination in hiring, but white applicants receive 50% more responses from potential employers than do black applicants with the same resume. Likewise, college professors are substantially more likely to answer student e-mails if the students’ names indicates that they are probably white than if the names sound like they belong to black students. And in one study online course instructors were 94% more likely to respond to discussion posts by white male students than by other students.

Because implicit bias operates at a mostly unconscious level, it is difficult for individuals to overcome. No existing training regime has proven particularly effective at de-biasing implicit bias. But, fortunately, some research shows that stereotypes can be unlearned and that safeguards can be put in place to minimize their impact. For example, women used to make up only a relatively small percentage of the musicians in orchestras. But when orchestras began holding blind auditions where the applicants played behind a curtain and their genders were unknown to the judges, the percentage of women chosen to play in symphony orchestras doubled. Perhaps we can put a dent in implicit bias after all.

Bibliography

Mahzarin Banaji & Anthony Greenwald, Blind Spot: Hidden Biases of Good People (2013).

Marianne Bertrand et al., Implicit Discrimination, 95 American Economic Review 94 (2005).

Jack Glaser & Eric Knowles, Implicit Motivation to Control Prejudice, 44 Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 164 (2008).

A.R. Green et al., Implicit Bias Among Physicians and Its Prediction of Thrombolysis Decisions for Black and White Patients, 22 Journal of General Internal Medicine 1231 (2007).

Anthony Greenwald et al., Statistically Small Effects of the Implicit Association Test Can Have Societally Large Effects , 108 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 553 (2015).

Jerry Kang et al., Implicit Bias in the Courtroom , 59 UCLA Law Review 1124 (2012).

Daniel Kelly et al., Race and Racial Cognition, in The Moral Psychology Handbook 433 (John M. Doris, ed. 2010).

Gregory Mitchel, “An Implicit Bias Primer,” (March 2018), available at https://ssrn.com/abstract=3151740 .

Brian Nosek, The Implicit Association Test at Age 7: A Methodological and Conceptual Review , in Automatic Processes in Social Thinking and Behavior (J.A. Bargh, ed. 2007).

Keith Payne et al., How to Think About “Implicit Bias,” Scientific American, March 27, 2018.

Jesse Singal, Psychology’s Favorite Tool for Measuring Racism Isn’t Up to the Job , New Yorker, Jan. 11, 2017.

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Meet me at Starbucks Case Study

User Generated

Business Finance

Description

A case study analysis requires you to investigate a business problem, examine the alternative solutions, and propose the most effective solution using supporting evidence. 

Preparing the Case

Before you begin writing, follow these guidelines to help you prepare and understand the case study:

Read and Examine the Case Thoroughly

Take notes, highlight relevant facts, underline key problems.

Focus Your Analysis

Identify two to five key problems.

Why do they exist?

• How do they impact the organization?

Who is responsible for them?

Uncover Possible Solutions/Changes Needed

Review course readings, discussions, outside research, your experience.

• Select the Best Solution
• Consider strong supporting evidence, pros, and cons. Is this solution realistic?

Drafting the Case

Once you have gathered the necessary information, a draft of your analysis should include these general sections, but these may differ depending on your assignment directions or your specific case study:

Introduction

• Set the scene: background information, relevant facts, and the most important issues.
• Demonstrate that you have researched the problems in this case study.
• Evaluation of the Case
• Outline the various pieces of the case study that you are focusing on.

Evaluate these pieces by discussing what is working and what is not working.

State why these parts of the case study are or are not working well.

Proposed Solution/Changes

• Provide specific and realistic solution(s) or changes needed.
• Explain why this solution was chosen.

Support this solution with solid evidence, such as: 

Concepts from class (text readings, discussions, lectures)

Outside research

• Personal experience (anecdotes)

Recommendations

Determine and discuss specific strategies for accomplishing the proposed solution.

If applicable, recommend further action to resolve some of the issues.

What should be done and who should do it?

• Finalizing the Case

After you have composed the first draft of your case study analysis, read through it to check for any gaps or inconsistencies in content or structure: 

Is your thesis statement clear      and direct? 

• Have you provided solid      evidence? 

Is any component from the      analysis missing?

When you make the necessary revisions, proofread and edit your analysis before submitting the final draft. 

Unformatted Attachment Preview

Explanation & Answer

View attached explanation and answer. Let me know if you have any questions.Hi! I hope you like my work. Please let me know if you need any changes made. I will be happy to help.😀 Meet me at Starbucks Case study Name: Course: Professor: INTRODUCTION Meet me at Starbucks is a case study based on an incident that occurred in a Starbucks in Philadelphia in April of 2018. Two African-American males awaited a meeting with a real estate developer. When asked if they required assistance, they stated that they did not. The two individuals frequented this Starbucks and frequently held meetings there. While they waited, one of the men inquired about using the restroom, but the manager refused because they were not paying customers. Six police officers arrived at the business after the store manager called the cops. They did not interrogate them. Instead, they insisted that they leave, which the two people refused. The police then proceeded to arrest them, and the real estate developer with whom both guys had a meeting stepped up and began questioning what was going on. The programmer was a white man. They were detained for approximately eight hours before the case was dismissed. A video of the event went viral, and Starbucks issued an official apology, stating that it would close its locations for one day to do racial-bias education training. The general population had conflicting opinions about this, but Starbucks stayed firm in its choice (Prentice, R, 2021). There were two ethical issues raised in this instance, which were examined in the article. Discrimination and harassment were the two ethical issues. Because the store manager called the cops on two males who were not a threat to anyone in the store, discrimination was an ethical issue in this case study. They may not have purchased anything, but they were regulars at that restaurant. The shadow of misplaced and broken loyalties was prevalent in this ethical problem. Meeting the Ethical Challenge of Leadership (Johnson, C. E., 2021) describes this shadow in chapter 1. They must examine their obligations to their families, communities, professions, the greater society, and the environment in addition to their responsibility to employees and stockholders. This was not the case with the Starbucks manager. Because she racially profiled two people of color, she betrayed her community's trust. Would she have done the same thing if they had been white? Most likely not. This casts a shadow over the stakeholders, including Starbucks, because the firm has failed its community and society as a result of the occurrence. "Our goal is to make our stores a secure and inviting place for everyone, and we have failed," Starbucks stated in the case study (Prentice, R, 2021). This failure has an impact on the organization since it causes them to doubt the types of people they hire, and as a result, they lose some of their clients. The police officers that arrived at the scene were harassing because they refused to take any stat...

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