Starbucks Brings E-Gifts to Twitter via Tweet-a-Coffee
Benevolent coffee buyers have a new platform: Starbucks has launched its Tweet-a-Coffee program, or what it calls "a new way for customers to send the thoughtful gift of Starbucks coffee."
As of October 28, U.S. customers can sync their Starbucks accounts to their Twitter accounts and tweet to @tweetacoffee with the Twitter handle of a recipient, which will send said Twitter user a $5 e-gift, the brand says.
Starbucks spokesperson Linda Mills declined to provide a figure for the number of consumers with Starbucks accounts. However, as of November 5, the @tweetacoffee handle had about 14,000 followers.
Customers can then redeem Tweet-a-Coffee e-gifts at participating locations by printing out the e-gift, by showing it directly on their mobile devices or by loading it to their Starbucks mobile app.
According to Starbucks, Tweet-a-Coffee, which launched in beta form, will be an ongoing effort that will allow customers to "engage with one another online to gift a Starbucks beverage spontaneously and respond proactively with gestures of encouragement, kindness and ‘just because.'"
Starbucks first launched its e-gifting platform in 2011 on Starbucks.com and, in addition to Twitter, has since extended it to Facebook and its iPhone mobile app, the brand says.
