Version Before Conference:

The Great Debate: Dunkin’ or Starbucks

Abraham Lincoln once demanded, “If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee” (“Barista”).  Whatever Lincoln demanded, he received, and this dynamic between supply and demand plays out in the American economy as well; hence, if Americans demand, somebody must supply.  With the abundance of suppliers for similar products, consumers must make a choice between brands. People develop passions for their choices and allegiances to certain competitors, and Americans regularly debate about the superior brand in numerous categories: Sheetz or Wawa for gas stations, Coke or Pepsi for cola, and Dunkin’ or Starbucks for coffee, a necessity to American culture even in the days of Lincoln.  Dunkin’ and Starbucks operate with a similar vision; in essence, they aim to serve the American people with quality, energizing drinks in a timely manner. Dunkin’s slogan “America Runs on Dunkin’” and the “Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee” bottled drink show how the companies sought to fulfill their visions by launching these aspects of their brands at the right moment, logically appealing to a commonplace shared by their consumers, and ethically appealing to consumers by building upon their financial foundations.

Dunkin’ and Starbucks utilized kairos and found an opportune moment to launch their slogan and product, respectively.  The “America Runs on Dunkin’” campaign launched in 2006 when three private equity firms—Bain Capital, The Carlyle Group, and Thomas H. Lee Partners—bought out the brand and sought to triple its size in ten years.  This acquisition, in addition to establishing a partnership with JetBlue Airways, brought significant attention to Dunkin’ in 2006 (“About Us”). The Company took advantage of this publicity and visibility by launching the campaign “America Runs on Dunkin’” to convey that consumers would see a new and improved Dunkin’.   In 2009, Starbucks launched a new Cinnamon Dulce flavor of their “Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee” at a strategic time; however, the Cinnamon Dulce came out at a time of peak success, whereas Dunkin’ launched their slogan at the start of a new endeavor. Starbucks and the North American Coffee Partnership joined together in the Ready-to-Drink (RTD) coffee market in 1994.  From 1994 to 2008, the joint venture dominated the industry, accounting for 90 percent of the market’s sales. Doubleshot Energy + Coffee entered the RTD coffee market in 2008 and quickly catapulted to a best-selling product in the category (“Starbucks”). With the well-established relationship and substantial success of the product, Starbucks and NACP took advantage of this opportune moment to expand the product by launching their Cinnamon Dulce flavor.  Dunkin’ and Starbucks both found perfect moments to pursue their new business initiatives, in order to successfully appeal to their consumers at effective times.

“America Runs on Dunkin’” and the “Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee” logically appeal to consumers as well, for they both support the commonplace idea of the hustle and bustle lifestyle.  The hustle and bustle lifestyle lays the foundation for the constant caffeination of the American culture and the always on the go mentality. As evidenced by the fact that Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee each day, the culture demands caffeine (Daily).  The energy boost gives Americans the energy they need to power themselves throughout the day. Both companies also emphasize the convenience of their products so that Americans can stay on the go. For instance, Dunkin’s word choice for its slogan alludes to these commonplaces in several ways.  As a whole, the phrase conveys that people depend on Dunkin’ to provide them with the energy they need to maintain their lifestyle. Also, Dunkin’ strategically uses the word “runs”, for it has a quick-paced connotation. This depiction aligns with the consumers’ needs to quickly pick up food or a drink when they do not have time to spare, and Dunkin’ offers Drive-Thru and On-the-Go mobile ordering to satisfy this need.  Starbucks emphasizes the caffeine kick they can give consumers to keep them hustling and bustling by combining energy and coffee in one drink. The idea of coffee and energy combined assures consumers that it will do the trick and give them a double boost. The RTD model of this drink makes it convenient for such busy Americans because they do not have to waste any time waiting for their drink. Both options, Dunkin’, with the “America Runs on Dunkin’” slogan, and Starbucks, with the “Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee + Espresso” drink, make sense for consumers:  Consumers can quickly get the energy they need to keep up with the overarching lifestyle of American society. 

Coming from two of the top competitors in the coffee market with strong reputations, “America Runs on Dunkin’” and “Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee + Espresso” ethically appeal to consumers.  The companies’ successes impact the American economy, a fundamental aspect to the well-being of the nation. Dunkin’ stimulates significant economic activity by selling two billion cups of coffee annually.  In addition, the Company entered the Stock Exchange in 2011, experiences sales growth, and continues to pursue company expansion (“Dunkin’”). Not only does the coffee keep the American people running, it keeps the economy running as well with stock trading, sales revenue, and nationwide locations.  Similarly, “Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee + Espresso” line of products accounted for three of the category’s five best-selling Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) in 2008. From 1994 – 2009, the producers of this product, Starbucks and NACP, exceeded $1.3 billion in RTD coffee sales. In 2017, the joint venture held 88 percent of the RTD coffee market share (“Starbucks”).  As a top product, its overwhelming dominance in the RTD market attracts people to buying it, resulting in such a large consumption of the product. People look to buy the best products, and the superior presence of “Starbucks Doubleshot Coffee + Espresso” attracts consumers. The financial success associated with Dunkin’s slogan and Starbucks’ RTD drink appeals to consumers in that both companies possess credibility and a strong reputation.  Dunkin’ and Starbucks employed tactics rooted in their ethical foundations, and this appeal attracts the business of millions of people.

Dunkin’ and Starbucks employed the same rhetorical strategies—kairos, logos, and ethos—with the “America Runs on Dunkin’” campaign and the “Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee” product to persuade consumers who face the common Dunkin’ or Starbucks decision when needing to satisfy their caffeine addiction.  Kairos allowed the companies to market at the right time with the potential for success. Logos allowed the companies to appeal to supporting the hustle and bustle lifestyle, a commonplace of American culture. Ethos allowed Dunkin’ and Starbucks to pursue their slogan and product with the backing of a strong reputation, and the credibility of these foundations attracts consumers to these companies, whether marketed with a new slogan or a new product.  In a free market economy, competitors must employ rhetorical strategies in all aspects of their brand: marketing, products, etc. Companies must appeal to consumers and understand their values in order to successfully satisfy the demands of the American people. These strategies impact decisions every day and maybe would have even caused Lincoln to specify that he wanted Dunkin’ not Starbucks, or vise versa, in his demands for tea and coffee. 

Works Cited

“About Us.” Dunkin’, 2019, news.dunkindonuts.com/about.

 

“Barista Life’s Top 117 Coffee Quotes.” Barista Life, 2016, 

www.thebaristalife.com/blogs/blog/barista-lifes-top-117-coffee-quotes.

 

Daily, Kitchen. “Find Out How Obsessed Americans Are WIth Drinking Coffee.” HuffPost, 

HuffPost, 27 Feb. 2015, www.huffpost.com/entry/americas-coffee-obsession_n_987885.

 

Dunkin’ Brands Presents Three-Year Plan Fueled by the Dunkin’ Donuts U.S. ‘Blueprint for 

Growth’ at Its 2018 Investor & Analyst Day.” Dunkin Brands, Inc., 8 Feb. 2018, 

investor.dunkinbrands.com/news-releases/news-release-details/dunkin-brands-presents-three-year-plan-fueled-dunkin-donuts-us.

 

“Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Stakes Its Claim in the Ready-to-Drink Energy Coffee 

Subcategory.” Starbucks, Starbucks Corporation, 22 Jan. 2009, 

stories.starbucks.com/stories/2009/starbucks-doubleshot-energycoffee-stakes-its-c

laim-in-the-ready-to-drink-en/.

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Feedback From Conference:

• Analyze the slogan and its corresponding icons (not the business background of the slogan)
  • Focus on commonplaces of American culture (rhetorical devices do not quite apply to this artifact)
    • Hustle and bustle lifestyle
    • Convenience
    • Brand reliability 
  • Explain the commonplaces and how the icons appeal to these commonplaces
• Analyze the dynamics/color schemes of the icons, connections between the icons and slogan, and the appeals they make to people who see this slogan/icon design
• For a second artifact, use the Starbucks Tripleshot commercial (not just the drink itself)
  • Find how this commercial appeals to the same commonplaces as Dunkin’ but does so in their own way
    • Hustle and bustle lifestyle
    • Convenience
    • Brand reliability

• Structure
  • Introduction
  • Body
    • Dunkin’– Hustle and bustle
    • Dunkin’– Convenience
    • Dunkin’– Brand reliability
    • Starbucks – Hustle and bustle, convenience, brand reliability
  • Conclusion

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Revised Version After Conference: 

Commonplaces in Coffee

The American people regularly debate about the superior brand in numerous categories: Sheetz or Wawa for gourmet gas stations, Coke or Pepsi for classic cola, and Dunkin’ or Starbucks for coffee.  In these debates, the passion that people develop for their go-to brand shines through. The Dunkin’ versus Starbucks debate holds considerable weight in the American culture, for the American people depend on coffee as they collectively consume 400 million cups of coffee each day.  America possesses a caffeinated culture, and Dunkin’ and Starbucks reign as the top brands for satisfying this caffeine addiction. Through their rhetorical marketing tactics, they have persuaded the majority of coffee addicts to turn to them as their go-to brand. The slogan “America Runs on Dunkin’” and its corresponding icons play on three commonplace values of American society: hustle and bustle lifestyle, convenience, and brand reliability.  As a relative competitor, Starbucks recently released a Tripleshot Energy TV commercial, “Volunteers Wanted,” that incorporates these commonplaces as well.

The rhetoric that Dunkin’ incorporates into its four-word, four-icon design speaks volumes to the value that Americans hold in the hustle and bustle lifestyle.  This lifestyle lays the foundation for the constant caffeination of the American culture because people need enough energy to sustain themselves throughout their days.  Dunkin’ recognizes that the hustle and bustle lifestyle pertains to America at large by referring to the entire nation and depicting it with a map of the country. Pairing a picture of a person running with the word “runs” shows that American people hustle throughout their days to accomplish as much as they can.  Dunkin’ emphasizes the word “on” by displaying it in a solid brown square which sharply contrasts the bright colors of the other three icons. This emphasis conveys that Dunkin’ allows its consumers to feel powered on, not powered off. Choosing to display this part of the slogan in a solid brown box alludes to the rich, brown color of coffee.  Therefore, the connection between the word and color choice for “on” sends the message that Dunkin’s coffee will keep its drinkers powered on for the day. With Dunkin’, consumers all across America can get the energy they need to keep running throughout their days to satisfy their hustle and bustle lifestyle.  

Since Americans pursue the hustle and bustle lifestyle, they hold great value in convenience.  Convenience allows people to take care of life’s necessities with ease and without enduring troubles.  The concept of running on Dunkin’ alludes to consumers that they can rely on Dunkin’. They do not need to face the inconvenience of getting their coffee pot to function properly or restocking their coffee mix at home since Dunkin’ can consistently provide them with a Cup of Joe, prepared to their liking.  The quick-paced connotation and depiction of “Runs” displays that Dunkin’ supports the value of convenience, in regards to saving time. Americans value time-convenient options, so they can maximize their time each day. The icon of the figure running conveys that a quick-stop at Dunkin’ will not sacrifice a significant amount of time in their customers’ days.  Customers can “run” through the Dunkin’ drive-thru to get the energy they need without having to even waste time parking and getting out of their cars. “America Runs on Dunkin’” allows consumers to understand that Dunkin’ conveniently provides them with what they need, so they do not have to worry about making their own coffee or wasting time in the process of getting their Cup of Joe.

The commonplace idea of brand reliability significantly influences the American culture.  Consumers tend to prefer familiar brands and ones that exhibit brand loyalty by having a large customer network.  Dunkin’s slogan and icons build on this value. The prevalence of the Dunkin’ logo in American culture makes it very familiar to the people and allows people to easily recognize it.  The icon of the map of America depicts the nationwide feat of the company. By featuring the Dunkin’ logo and the map of America, people can make the connection to all of the Dunkin’s that they have driven past and seen throughout the culture, and they can subsequently understand that Dunkin’ has a large presence across the nation.  Dunkin’ utilizes ethos in supporting this commonplace by featuring the registered symbol,®️, next to its company’s name to signify the federal registration of the Dunkin’ brand and its ensuing exclusive right to its goods.  This symbol invokes a sense of legitimacy and credibility to consumers. The depiction of Dunkin’s vast presence and trademarked name allows people to comprehend from the slogan and icons that Dunkin’ attests to the commonplace value of brand reliability.

In its own fashion, the Starbucks’ “Volunteers Needed” commercial incorporates these commonplaces as well.  The commercial starts with the narrator posing the problem of having no energy left but still wanting to do so much.  The actor portrays the hustle and bustle lifestyle by approaching a volunteer opportunity at a dog shelter in a suit jacket with a briefcase, signifying that he came directly from work to volunteer.   The problem of lacking energy directly results from the hustle and bustle lifestyle, and the narrator recommends the Tripleshot Energy drink as the solution to this problem. Also, the commercial conveys the convenience of the Tripleshot Energy drink in that the actor the drink easily accessible in his briefcase.  He did not need to waste any time making any stops for coffee between work and volunteering because the ready-to-drink, portable model allowed him to keep it in his bag, so he could drink it on the go. Finally, the commercial supports the notion of brand reliability as well. The commercial shows the design of the can as the actor drinks it, and it also shows an up-close shot of all three flavors.  In both of these shots, two critical components of the can, in green and red coloring, stand out amidst the neutral coloring of the rest of the can. With its green coloring, viewers can clearly identify the Starbucks logo. Similarly to the effect of Dunkin’s use of the logo, viewers recognize the logo as one of the most familiar logos in American culture. In red lettering, the word “Energy” sharply stands out on the can.  The psychology of the color red emphasizes that the product contains energy as red attracts the most attention of all of the colors. The narrator validates this by stating that the drink contains 225 milligrams of caffeine. From what the viewers see and hear, the commercial integrates the commonplace value of brand reliability.     

Dunkin’ and Starbucks seek to appeal to the American people by implementing three commonplace values of the culture into their marketing strategies:  the “America Runs on Dunkin’” slogan and icons and the “Volunteers Needed” commercial for the Tripleshot Energy drink, respectively. Both marketing efforts appeal to the commonplace values of the hustle and bustle lifestyle, convenience, and brand reliability.  Since the American people value these aspects, these marketing appeals draw their attention and effectively persuade them to pursue their brand, for the brand aligns with their values and holistic mentality. These strategical appeals add an interesting dynamic and complexity to the great American debate of Dunkin’ versus Starbucks for the much-needed caffeine kick in American culture.