The coffee ad wars are paying off for the top brands, Dunkin' Donuts and McDonald's.
Advertising Age reports that Dunkin' Donuts led McDonald's and Starbucks in ad buzz and value perception according to Brand Index, which tracks more than 1,000 brands.
All three marketers saw a major uptick in buzz, with Dunkin' pushing its donuts, McDonald's its new McCafe speciality coffees and Starbucks its new branding campaign. Starbucks' jump, said Ted Marzilli, global managing director at Brand Index, had the "highest magnitude," especially because it was coming from about zero. He said Starbucks should be heartened that it not only made a splash when its competitors were outspending it, but got a second spike in interest as McDonald's and Dunkin' were leveling off. (Subscription my be required to read more.)
Current promotions
Dunkin' Donuts current campaign for its Coolatta frozen beverage includes an online promotion, "Keep It Coolatta" on the brand's Facebook page. The giveaway runs through June 24th. To be eligible for daily prizes, fans are asked to take a photo of themselves posing with a Coolatta beverage, making it their profile picture, posting it to the wall of the Dunkin' Donuts Fan Page and adding the caption "#CoolattaGiveaway."
Prizes include air conditioners, iPhones, JetBlue tickets, flatscreen TVs, KangaROOS and more. In addition to the daily winner, a fan of the day will be selected to be the face of "Keep It Coolatta" and will be featured as the Dunkin' Donuts Facebook profile image. Studiocom, Dunkin's digital agency of record, partnered with Dunkin Donuts promotions agency, Ryan Partnership, for the giveaway.
McDonald's is still in the midst of its "McCafé Your Day" Contest, which offers consumers a chance to be one of two grand prize winners worth a $50,000 Visa Gift card and $500 McDonald's Arch Card. Consumers may visit www.mcdonalds.com/mccafe to submit a story and photo about why they or someone they know deserve a chance to win.
Also, through Aug. 2, consumers can enter to win one of 10 weekly sweepstakes prizes: a $1,000 Visa Gift card and $50 McDonald's Arch Card.
McDonald's gaining Starbucks customers
Nation's Restaurant News reports that a survey by Morgan Stanley & Co. found that more Starbucks-heavy users said they buy coffee from McDonald's regularly, about 56 percent compared to 51 percent last August. The survey was conducted about three weeks after McDonald's launched its national advertising promotion of its McCafe offerings.
The survey also found that, among all consumers, McDonald's leads in terms of value and convenience, but Starbucks wins in terms of taste and as "the favorite place" to buy coffee.
