Starbucks ditches NFTs and hits Roblox with 35k 'virtual coffees'☕️
Is Roblox is the new frontier for customer engagement?
The US coffee giant just launched the first virtual stores in some of the most popular Roblox role-playing games (Dubit).
Users can win 35,000 UGC items and real-world rewards like free coffee.
👉Check out the video.
Gaming is big business...
Why it matters: Roblox alone boasts 66M daily active users and the global gaming market is projected to reach $45B this year. Half of Roblox's user base is Gen Z, spending an average of 2.6 hours per day on the platform. 🤯
And the average user spends nearly $60 per year on the platform.
Brands are realizing: Go where the people already are.
By the number: Over 80% of Interband's top 100 global brands have launched virtual activations.
The goal? Build awareness and brand affinity among next-gen consumers.
We looked at all of them👇
📊 Data Drop: Top Brands on Roblox
We have curated a dataset of 100+ top brands on Roblox and their activation in immersive commerce. Subscribe to PRO to get free access to all the data 👇
Stepping back: Earlier this year, Starbucks pulled the plug on its flagship Web3 loyalty program, Odyssey.
Marc Baumann
Marc Baumann
The reason? Missing ROI.
Even though Odyssey had potential, scaling it to 10% of Starbucks' 75M reward members would generate $240M annually—a mere 0.7% of their 2023 revenue. Not quite the game-changing innovation they hoped for.
Now, Starbucks levels up.
It's betting on Roblox to create stronger customer connections and drive foot traffic to stores.
What they’re saying:
“I’m hugely excited. This year we’ve seen meaningful real-world outcomes from Roblox. Last month, we drove 15,000 people into real-world stores here in the UK. Earlier this year, we delivered a 22% increase in sales velocity for one of America’s most popular lunchtime snacks. Roblox drives real-world results, and will for Starbucks too.”
Matthew Warneford, CEO at Dubit
So what? Gaming for brand engagement is quickly becoming a trend among consumer brands. With Shopify integration, Roblox is unlocking multiple opportunities for brands to bring virtual experience to real sales.
🎙Exploring Roblox – The Future of Brand Engagement with Gen Z and Alpha
We discussed the significance of Roblox as a platform for brands to engage with younger audiences. We also covered monetization challenges, comparisons with other platforms like Fortnite and Minecraft, and the role of influencers.
The question remains: Will Starbucks succeed in Roblox? And more importantly, which other major brands will follow suit?
That’s all for today.
Talk soon,
– Marc & Team
PS: Before you go, here’s how we can help: Our research team & 50k+ B2B audience helps you:
- Capturing market & mind share: We create enterprise-grade reports that we co-publish with you to elevate your brand, drive traffic, and amplify your B2B outbound conversion rates among corporate decision-makers.
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