News

Starbucks goes Gaga

May 18, 2011

Starbucks Corp. is getting ready to announce a major digital media partnership with Lady Gaga, named Wednesday by Forbesas the world's most powerful celebrity.

The partnership will give Lady Gaga an over-the-top digital and promotional presence in Starbucks U.S. stores through June 3.

Beginning today, Starbucks will host a Gaga-inspired scavenger hunt across its digital properties, including Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare.

To participate, customers scan QR codes on in-store banners and chalkboards to receive clues. Next, they'll go to Starbucks blogs and other sites to solve pop-culture puzzles and decode messages and clues, to be released over the next two weeks. In addition to scores of Gaga merchandise, one top winner will get special access to a Lady Gaga concert during her 2012 world tour.

According to an article in USA Today, the partnership for Starbucks is about trying to stay tuned in to the interests of its young but hard-to-reach demographic. For Lady Gaga, it's about capitalizing on a carefully orchestrated publicity strategy where many of her fans likely hang out.

Lady Gaga has 32 million Facebook fans and 10 million Twitter followers, and earned about $90 million over the past year, Forbes estimates. She also announced last week a PR link-up with FarmVille, the social network game. Her album, "Born this Way," is scheduled for a May 23 release. To mark the launch, Gaga will be heard over Starbucks speakers all day.