The Affari Edge Blog

For years Americans have known only two streets that are part of their daily lives. There’s 1st Street where we live and decide to raise our families. And there’s 2nd Street where we work and make the money we need to support our families. Until recently there has never been a consistent 3rd Street. This all changed with America’s adoption of Starbucks and its affordable, luxurious lifestyle.

It is a new phenomenon in the ever changing world of integrated marketing. While some companies rely so heavily on traditional marketing and advertising, Starbucks has created a new media vehicle: 3rd Street.

Just think about how many Americans spend large amounts of their days - and weeks - meeting at Starbucks. Whether it be for a casual coffee break, an after work hangout, or a weekend get-away, Starbucks has become the official adult hang out.

So, how did they do it? They don’t spend much on traditional media such as TV, radio and print. Instead, they created an atmosphere that was unlike anything any American had experienced before. Comfortable furniture, perky baristas, highly customizable coffee/espresso drinks, and new-age interior design all made the local Starbucks the new place to meet for a cup of coffee. The trend spread across the country like a virus in what could arguably be the best viral campaign in history.

This new atmosphere has made Starbucks the official 3rd Street for millions of Americans. This raises the question, “What will be America’s 4th Street?” That is what many advertising professional are trying to create right now. However, after the creation of the 3rd Street, it will be much more difficult to get Americans to buy in to a 4th Street. After all, they already spend all of their time at home, work, and Starbucks.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 6th, 2007 at 1:03 pm and is filed under Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.