Xingbake (Starbucks) in China

[timd3359]

I am a graduate student at the University of Colorado seeking information on Starbucks in China for a class project. I have created a survey at the following link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=g_2bFFb71PgtH59aeosEyMuQ_3d_3d

If anyone is interested, I would be very grateful for your responses. If you can't get into the survey, you can also post your thoughts concerning Starbucks on this thread. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!!

The survey is only ten questions and should take less than five minutes to complete. Thank You!!!

[gougou]

Is this a class project only? Or are you doing it for Starbucks?

[md1101]

i was about to do it but now gougou makes me think it might not really be a school project! the questions to seem very much like those you'd expect starbucks to ask...

[zhwj]

No need to get paranoid. It's probably a class in marketing or the sociology of branding. The Internet makes gathering data so much easier. I remember standing in the cold outside art theaters in DC to gather enough responses to run the analytical models.

[muyongshi]

After you take the survey and before final submission this is what they tell you...

2. Survey disclaimer

We are a study group at the University of Colorado, Denver that is conducting a survey to determine the brand value and marketing effectiveness of Starbuck's in China. The information you provide will only be used in this course of study and will not be disclosed to any other parties external to this class. All of the demographic information provided will be kept confidential. Your participation in this survey is completely voluntary.

[liuzhou]

Like so many of these surveys, the questions don't seem very well thought out and make presumptions about the respondents..

5. . Do you order the same product (drink, food, etc.) every time you visit Xingbake?

Well, I've only been once, so technically, yes.

8. When visiting Xingbake, which is more important, the experience or the prodct (sic)?

Er, neither.

What relevence has my marital status?

[wushijiao]

What relevence has my marital status?

Demographic data is often useful to companies, obviously. That's why they have surveys.

1) Married couples tend to have a larger combined income, compared to singles. 2) People, especially in China, are starting to associate Starbucks with Westernized "love" "romance"...etc.

In fact, the Shanghai metro is going to put on a mini soap opera about a girl who leaves the countryside, comes to Shanghai, and finds love- and Starbucks. Everyday there will be a short three or four minute episode. It will be on all the flat screen TV's in and around the subways. Of course, there will be tons of product placement, especially because they are tying to popularize Frappuccino's.

[liuzhou]

Demographic data is often useful to companies, obviously. That's why they have surveys.

Quite. So, it is a company survey rather than a homework assignment. (?)

[zhwj]

Because no one would ever train their market research skills by doing mock surveys about famous brands.

That soap sounds interesting, wushijiao (anyone else remember those Taster's Choice melodramas - passion and betrayal in 30-second episodes). I saw those bottles of frappuccino on a store shelf the other day - ridiculously expensive, but there's something attractive about the bottles, especially when compared to the cans of coffee they're competing against.

[gato]

In fact, the Shanghai metro is going to put on a mini soap opera about a girl who leaves the countryside, comes to Shanghai, and finds love- and Starbucks.

It already started showing, maybe last week. It looks like a movie trailer or advertisement rather than a soap opera. All the scenes are in more or less slow motion, with a Starbucks product somewhere on the set. I didn't see anything about being from the countryside, but I've only seen it once so far. Will try to pay closer attention next time.

Here's an article about it:

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/community/showthread.php?t=31702

Starbucks, PepsiCo Bring 'Subopera' to Shanghai

[Rincewind]

Starbuks is the only comfortable place to wait in Shenzhen airport. Even when My flight is leaving form T1, I will walk over to T2 (well it's not that far really) to sit in SB while I'm waiting. Not that I'm saying SB is good, rather than everything else in Shenzhen airport is overpriced and rubbish.

There used to be a Starbuks in the Peak tower in Hong Kong with a fantastic view over the whole city and harbour. However, that's now changed to a different company, Pacific Coffee.

The SB in Shenyang is one place I avoid. I can get coffee much cheaper elsewhere. I one ordered a sandwich in the Shenyang SB which was "heated up for me" in the microwave. It was still stone cold when they served it, so I assume the heating up meant "no longer frozen." I mean it's not difficult to make a sandwich, so make it fresh. Don't keep them in the freezer.

Now, however, I am in direct competition with SB. There is no SB in Anshan and I'm going to keep it that way. I bought a coffee vending machine which I installed in the office block where my school is based. It sells a variety of hot and cold drinks for just 1 yuan a cup and it tastes better that SB's too. So now I'm in the coffee business, SB needs to watch out.

[timd3359]

Some of you seem concerned about the marital status question in the survey. Our study group has found that many people in China see Starbucks as a dating destination. This is not as usual in the U.S. (although it certainly happens). The answer to this question helps us pinpoint certain values regarding age, income and whether or not you are a casual coffee drinker or if Starbucks may be something 'special' for you. We certainly don't intend to offend anyone with the questions that we ask, and answering any of them on the survey is optional. Also, the page two disclaimer is correct. We are not in any way associated with Starbucks. We are in a class at the University of Colorado, Denver entitiled "Marketing in the Chinese Environment". The course is taught by Professor Lawrence Cunningham and the course number is MKTG 6800. As I stated before, your cooperation on this survey is certainly greatly appreciated!!