Is your wait at Starbucks about to get longer?
On The Go Marketing & the coffee giant 'Starbucks' unveiled not one, not two, but four new drinks starting at midnight tonight, including two icy blends that will be exclusive to the Los Angeles and Orange County area. The other two – called Vivannos – will be available nationally and are billed as "nourishing blends" that can include fruit and bittersweet cocoa, whey and fiber. It's part of Starbucks' effort to expand into healthier fare.
The decidedly non-coffee drinks come on the heels of bad news for Starbucks. It recently announced the closure of 600 stores in the wake of sluggish sales. The build-up to the unveiling of the Vivanno has been relatively quiet, but the on-line world is wondering whether it has the potential to become the new frappuccino. Others, meanwhile wonder whether Starbucks is too late to the smoothie game.
Restaurant research analyst Nicole Miller Regan said Starbucks gets credit for introducing non-dairy, non-coffee beverages to appeal to a wider audience, but added that a struggle still lies ahead. "It's not going to move the needle," she said bluntly of the new drinks. "We're focused on the turnaround strategy…the competition is difficult."
The Vivannos come in two flavors: Orange Mango Banana Blend, and Banana Chocolate Blend. They are both under 300 calories.
In contrast to the roll-out for the Vivanno, the coffee giant is unleashing an advertizing blitz in Los Angeles to make sure that the sun doesn't go down tonight without making you aware of their pair of new icy beverages. There will be skywriting. There will be murals. Marquee signs at the likes of The Roxy and the El Ray, and House of Blues will trumpet its coming.
We signed a non-disclosure agreement to get the skinny – and a private tasting in Beverly Hills this afternoon -- in exchange for agreeing that we wouldn't reveal the particulars about the local new drinks, not even the name, until midnight. And we'll keep that promise, so check back here.
Be forewarned that the drinks are only being tested at select Starbucks in the Los Angeles and Orange County area – roughly half of the stores will offer it. A spokesman says Starbucks locations selling the new drinks will be visibly "branded" out front, so that should save you from wasting your time. Sales will determine whether the drink rolls out to additional stores.
Here's hoping that these fancy new drinks won't make long lines any longer than they already get while someone is trying to specialty order a frappo-mocha-nilla-whatever.
Management, however, contends that the lines won't be a problem.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
