In January 2020, Starbucks CEO announced the company’s renewed focus on sustainability, along with their aspiration toward eventually “giving more than we take from the planet.” As part of that effort, Starbucks wanted a way to generate broader awareness of its commitment to be a people-positive and planet-positive company, and the company also wanted to educate and activate as many Starbucks® Rewards members as possible to take small, tangible actions to better our world.

The objective of the Starbucks® Earth Month Game campaign was to leverage both the 24.8+ million active members in the Starbucks® Rewards loyalty program and the strength of Starbucks games, and to partner with the Starbucks sustainability team, to shine a spotlight on ways for Starbucks® Rewards members to join the company in its planet-positive commitment, while giving members a fun, engaging way to do it (that included chances to win).

To celebrate Starbucks’ brand mission, “To inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time,” we crafted the Starbucks® Earth Month Game: an exclusive members-only experience integrated with the Starbucks® Rewards loyalty program, crafted to spark joy and inspiration, further amplifying loyalty and driving transactions.

Earth Month Game would need to encapsulate the notion that sustainability is attainable and that even the smallest of actions have lasting impacts. To ensure this, the 360-degree engagement model that Starbucks built to drive sustainable behavior served as the focal point when developing the Earth Month Game:

1. Aware: Bring awareness to small actions customers can take

1. Reassure: Focus on safe handling and sanitization of reusable cups

2. Guide: Steer customers towards ‘green’ choices

3. Enable: Create seamless experiences

4. Reward: Drive and reinforce behavior

The Starbucks® Earth Month Game was an exclusive experience for members of the Starbucks® Rewards loyalty program for United States residents and Canada. Starbucks targeted consumers who are eco-friendly; care about sustainability and environmentally safe practices; and enjoy healthy living, organic products, and alternatives to milk.

Knowing climate change doesn’t happen overnight, Starbucks wanted small actions that make big impacts. The Earth Month Game gave Starbucks® Rewards loyalty members the opportunity to win prizes and be rewarded for sustainable behavior. For the campaign, Starbucks also announced a donation to plant 250,000 trees.

Engaging and motivating gamification tactics were chosen to activate different consumer behaviors: an instant win game was created to drive registration and purchase; an addicting skill-based puzzle game was used to increase engagement, player satisfaction, and viral activity; and dynamic weekly activities challenged players to do more, leading to opportunities for education and sustainable behavior.

Three gamification elements drove sustainability:

• Choice & Chance was a daily instant win that showcased sustainable prizes, menu items, and environmental fun facts.

• Play & Plant was the headlining consumer engagement gamification experience where members fit odd-shaped pieces onto a game board. The addictive nature of the game kept Starbucks and its sustainability messaging top of mind, motivating members to play over and over.

• Weekly Activities reinforced planet-positive behavior and provided educational opportunities about sustainability by rewarding players for taking polls, making pledges, watching videos, reading articles, and purchasing sustainable menu items.

With 24.8+ million active members in the Starbucks® Rewards loyalty program, email, push notifications, and in-app billboards and messaging drove participation. Paid social media and influencer marketing increased awareness of Earth Month Game to non-loyalty members, as did strategic partnerships and mentions in publications like Adweek, US Weekly, Elite Daily, PopSugar, and more.

Earth Month Game reached new heights due to its addictive nature. As more players posted, more people played, and then those new people posted, creating a viral loop that drove awareness and excitement for the brand. When the promotion ended, consumers contacted Starbucks and asked that the game be added back to the Starbucks app!

• Starbucks® Earth Month Game was visited 6.6 million times (average visit: eight minutes, 24 seconds).

• Play & Plant was the star with 38.5 million plays and nearly 1.6 billion pieces placed.

• In the post-game consumer survey, the program earned the highest satisfaction score to date of ALL Starbucks experiences.

Main objectives (increase sustainability awareness and behavior) were met with 25.5 million impressions from environmental fun facts and 11.7 million planet-positive engagements occurred (sustainable purchases, pledges, articles read, opting out of straws, etc.). Plus, 250,000 new trees found a home!