What appeals to young people more than price cuts is the "implicit sense of value" of Starbucks.

Why does it always have the magic to attract young people again and again?

Written by | Deep Sea

For many young friends, the recent exciting news must be that Starbucks has reduced the prices of some of its beverages.

Since June 17th, Starbucks has launched a price cut across the board for its three flagship categories: Frappuccino, Iced Shaken Tea, and Tea Latte. The lowest price is only 23 yuan. Taking the grande size as an example, the average price has been reduced by 5 yuan.

Although it can't compare with the "Crazy Thursday" effect, it has still attracted quite a few young people.

Taking a stroll in Starbucks in the afternoon, you'll find more and more people chatting or even "working" there. Naturally, they all have a colorful "non - coffee" beverage in hand.

The Starbucks atmosphere group has expanded again.

Objectively speaking, Starbucks' prices are relatively high among chain coffee shops. But why is it still difficult to find a seat in Starbucks in the afternoon? Why does it always have the magic to attract young people again and again?

This has to do with the ample "implicit sense of value" that Starbucks has always provided to young people, to the extent that price has become a minor issue.

Starbucks has become an excellent "service provider" for young people

This might be the daily routine of many urban white - collars. In the morning, they groggily turn off the alarm clock, half - asleep during the long commute, and then sit in front of the computer in a daze at the office. In the afternoon, they don't even know what they've been busy with, and the time just flies by. They only start to get a bit energetic when it's time to leave work. As for working overtime at night, that's another story...

Those who work from 9 to 5 and are stuck in the office always seem to be seeking to "awaken their emotions" and re - activate their numb nerves. A beverage is just the key to turn around the current negative state.

In the beverage market in 2025, competition is fierce. On one hand, young people need the caffeine to stay awake in the morning and the happy tea to avoid the "carbon - induced dizziness" in the afternoon. Coffee and tea firmly control the emotional switch of young people. Winning the beverage market is equivalent to winning the emotional market.

In the intricate relationship between beverages and emotions, rather than saying "competing in coffee", it's more accurate to say that Starbucks is competing in "precisely targeting the needs of the younger generation". The implicit sense of value comes from grasping the emotions behind the beverages.

These days, more and more young people are flocking to Starbucks for the "Zootopia" co - branded beverages launched on June 17th. The "fox - rabbit" duo, Judy and Nick, the top - trending characters in 2016, have always been the ideal couple in the hearts of young people (even though the official has recently refuted the rumor that they are not a couple). Coupled with another popular character, Flash, who became famous for his extremely slow - speaking speed and energy - saving mode, the three co - branded Iced Shaken Teas inspired by their characteristics have become the new must - check - in items for young people.

There are always many college couples in Starbucks in the afternoon. They raise their beverages with the dopamine - colored purple and orange and clink glasses, really enjoying the fun of summer.

What's even more interesting is that in Starbucks, beverages have become a customizable game - behind the simple classic flavors of Americano and Latte on the menu, young people are addicted to customizing and sharing their own exclusive beverages and unlocking hidden menus. By adjusting the flavor combinations, the number of espresso shots, and the number of syrup pumps in the beverage, the options are expanded. The process of tasting flavored beverages also incorporates the fun of collecting, exploring, and creating.

This freedom of customization is further expanding. Some time ago, Starbucks launched the "True Flavor Sugar - Free" innovation system, adding more variables to the beverage puzzle.

Amber, who had previously bought the 10 - time card for the 16 - choice classic coffee, resolutely abandoned the classic series and embraced customization after the launch of the True Flavor Sugar - Free. As an employee of a big company working from 10 am to 11 pm, she orders two cups of coffee every day just to relax her brain. But after drinking coffee frequently, she got bored. Over time, she found that pure caffeine could no longer give her the same level of stimulation. Especially in the afternoon, when she was prone to "carbon - induced dizziness", a high syrup index would make her brain "crash" and unable to handle work.

So, she quit caffeine for a while. But as soon as the "sugar - free" option came out, she couldn't resist and went back to Starbucks in the afternoon. After all, the excellent "service provider" Starbucks has solved her concern about excessive sugar. Now she can also combine different flavors to bring a changing taste to her regular daily coffee.

By the way, the beverage that Amber always has on hand recently is a Black Tea Coffee Latte with no extra sugar and replaced with almond milk. It's a "must - drink recipe during the weight - loss period" she saw on social media. It's said to help with natural weight loss, and she's really looking forward to weighing herself the next morning.

Through custom - made recipes, young people have discovered new ways to enjoy beverages. In Starbucks, you can be the decisive client, and it's your freedom to create a colorful coffee world. Now, Starbucks is no longer just a morning coffee for a wake - up call. It can appear at any time when you need an emotional boost.

The experience - maker, and the Starbucks atmosphere group is still expanding

"Activate the highlight mode!"

When Lily took the cup from the barista, the slogan on the coffee cup made her can't help but smile. At that time, she was extremely busy and frustrated because of a project bottleneck. Suddenly, she felt her mood lightened a bit. She often vacillates between thinking "this is so childish" and "I'm really healed". Before placing an order for Starbucks on the app, she can't help but feel as excited as when drawing a card in a game.

She remembers that during the anxious days of waiting for an offer, she was constantly worried about becoming unemployed. But after buying a Frappuccino in the afternoon and seeing the slogan "Your wishes will come true", she felt redeemed. She also remembers that on the morning before she successfully started her new job, she ordered a Tahitian Vanilla Iced Shaken Espresso. Seeing the pick - up slogan "A wonderful life" on the ice cup label, she felt full of energy and even posted a WeChat Moment about it. Starbucks' pick - up slogans always seem to correspond to the current mood in a timely manner. This pick - up "metaphysics" once made her addicted to Starbucks.

The "coffee metaphysics universe" is just the most basic part of Starbucks' "experience - maker". Emotional resonance comes not only from the kind words but also from the atmosphere creation of the "third space".

Yumiko, a soon - to - graduate student, goes to Starbucks every day pretending to work. In fact, she's desperately sending out job applications to get her dream job. As graduation approaches, she still hasn't found a suitable job and is about to move out of the dormitory. Staying in her familiar small space always makes her feel bored and unmotivated. So she moved to Starbucks. Listening to the noisy chats around her is better than feeling sad alone in the dormitory.

Today, she has completed 12 out of 30 job applications. Seeing the 23 - yuan Iced Shaken Raspberry Blackcurrant Tea, even though she had already finished an Americano in the morning, she was tempted to order a "happy drink" to improve her mood. The clerk Emily is familiar with this regular customer. Seeing Yumiko's hesitant look, she took the initiative to introduce non - coffee afternoon tea options and wrote the slogan "Success is at hand" on her cup. Yumiko even thinks that this kind clerk understands her current feelings better than her classmates she sees every day.

The implicit value of Starbucks comes from such a wonderful and warm emotional experience.

Starbucks always provides new "reasons" for young people to come back again and again. One of them is the co - branded activities launched by Starbucks at each stage, which can always precisely hit the "nostalgia points" of young people.

Some time ago, the newly popular beverage on social media was the self - created "Pop - Star Frappuccino" by young people. The secret recipe is "Mango Passion Fruit Tea Frappuccino + Strawberry Flavor". It's a unique drink "originally created" by Mayday fans, specially made with the carrot image of STAYREAL, the personal IP of Mayday's lead singer Ashin, as the theme.

Source: Xiaohongshu, @Loie yo

Young people are really having fun with Starbucks. In this Mayday co - branded event, besides the three co - branded limited - edition Frappuccinos, Starbucks has also developed various ways to evoke the fans' memories of youth. For example, buying a limited - edition Frappuccino will get you a Mayday summer transparent card. Also, the pick - up slogans in May have changed. Slogans like "Suddenly missing you now", "May appointment", "I'm by your side", and "You'll reach the end" have become the new summer passwords. Moreover, there are also lyrics on the coffee cups that make people want to sing along, giving a warm feeling.

Ashin, the lead singer of Mayday, also spontaneously wrote in a long post about his connection with Starbucks. During his college days, the Starbucks downstairs of the Rock Records studio was his inspiration base for creation. "There's such a coffee shop in your city too."

This kind of co - branding has far exceeded the market activity itself. It's a real emotional connection with customers through a song, a store, and a cup of coffee. Whether it's Mayday, with keywords like "freedom, wildness, and youth", or the warm and positive Snoopy, they all leave a mark in the deepest childhood memories of Generation Z. They are not only the "emotional keywords" of a generation but also a kind of social currency for them to recognize each other.

In Starbucks, beverages are not just a short - term taste enjoyment. They are also a brush for emotions and a tool for young people to express themselves. Through the various experiences created by beverages and the spread of human connections, the coffee shop has gained more value than its physical existence.

Although we're always curious about what people are doing in Starbucks, the truth is, they can go to this coffee shop for any purpose: meeting a deadline, taking a break while waiting for someone, having a small gathering with friends, having a business negotiation, chasing co - branded items, or having a date... No one will judge what you're doing or whether it's proper. In an inclusive space, just being there will give you a full sense of healing.

The familiar coffee shop,

Provides a short mental escape for young people

For young people, Starbucks is like an old friend, always providing a familiar sense of certainty in an unfamiliar city.