Starbucks ditches NFTs and hits Roblox with 35k 'virtual coffees'☕️
Starbucks ditches NFTs and hits Roblox with 35k 'virtual coffees'☕️
Is Roblox is the new frontier for customer engagement?
The US coffee giant just launched the first virtual stores in some of the most popular Roblox role-playing games (Dubit).
Users can win 35,000 UGC items and real-world rewards like free coffee.
👉Check out the video.
Gaming is big business...
Why it matters: Roblox alone boasts 66M daily active users and the global gaming market is projected to reach $45B this year. Half of Roblox's user base is Gen Z, spending an average of 2.6 hours per day on the platform. 🤯
And the average user spends nearly $60 per year on the platform.
Brands are realizing: Go where the people already are.
By the number: Over 80% of Interband's top 100 global brands have launched virtual activations.
The goal? Build awareness and brand affinity among next-gen consumers.
We looked at all of them👇
📊 Data Drop: Top Brands on Roblox
We have curated a dataset of 100+ top brands on Roblox and their activation in immersive commerce. Subscribe to PRO to get free access to all the data 👇
Stepping back: Earlier this year, Starbucks pulled the plug on its flagship Web3 loyalty program, Odyssey.
The reason? Missing ROI.
Even though Odyssey had potential, scaling it to 10% of Starbucks' 75M reward members would generate $240M annually—a mere 0.7% of their 2023 revenue. Not quite the game-changing innovation they hoped for.
Now, Starbucks levels up.
It's betting on Roblox to create stronger customer connections and drive foot traffic to stores.
What they’re saying:
“I’m hugely excited. This year we’ve seen meaningful real-world outcomes from Roblox. Last month, we drove 15,000 people into real-world stores here in the UK. Earlier this year, we delivered a 22% increase in sales velocity for one of America’s most popular lunchtime snacks. Roblox drives real-world results, and will for Starbucks too.”
Matthew Warneford, CEO at Dubit
So what? Gaming for brand engagement is quickly becoming a trend among consumer brands. With Shopify integration, Roblox is unlocking multiple opportunities for brands to bring virtual experience to real sales.
🎙Exploring Roblox – The Future of Brand Engagement with Gen Z and Alpha
We discussed the significance of Roblox as a platform for brands to engage with younger audiences. We also covered monetization challenges, comparisons with other platforms like Fortnite and Minecraft, and the role of influencers.
The question remains: Will Starbucks succeed in Roblox? And more importantly, which other major brands will follow suit?
That’s all for today.
Talk soon,
– Marc & Team
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