MICROSOFT should push for something like the free apps Starbucks does.

[lordofthereef]

I was just at Starbucks today and they had Sonic 4 episode 2 as the (weekly?) free app. This got me thinking: I am not sure who approached who (speaking Apple or Starbucks) but man are they giving away premium apps. Around Halloween time if was a Simpsons Tree House of Horror episode, and I have seen plenty of top notch apps given away as well. Microsoft should lush for this. I know The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf were supposed to be pairing with Nokia with built in wireless chargers. There is the gateway! Not sure of Starbucks and Apple have some sort of exclusivity, but places Like Dunkin' and the aforementioned Coffee Bean are wide open.

Anyone with me?

 

[nwildcat]

I think it's a great idea and I think it needs to be done through Starbucks as well as other places if possible. Maybe I'm wrong but it feels like the market that Microsoft is going for with their products is in line with a Starbucks customer and I assume they have a good relationship since they've been linked in the past and are both WA based. I've never gotten the impression that Starbucks deal with Apple is exclusive, just a partnership of sorts, hopefully they will be able to do something like that. Not sure about where you live, but Dunkin wouldn't be a great place to try this where I am, people are in and out of DD so fast, they'd barely pay attention to it, even if it is free.

 

[lordofthereef]

Maybe I'm wrong but it feels like the market that Microsoft is going for with their products is in line with a Starbucks customer

This x100. That said, I am not sure what sort of deals Apple and Starbucks currently have going in the states. Apps ranging from $.99-$5 being handed out for free just for walking into a starbucks is pretty phenomenal. I would think Starbucks isn;t ACTUALLY losing retail value of said app each time a code is redeemed.

 

[AZBrowncoat]

Would definitely help increase awareness of the WP App Store and WP in general.

I love walking into Starbucks and getting my free songs and apps with my coffee...

 

[PG2G]

If Starbucks goal is to get people go come into the shop by offering a free app, you can see how doing so with Windows Phone might not be THAT useful given today's market share.

 

[lordofthereef]

If Starbucks goal is to get people go come into the shop by offering a free app, you can see how doing so with Windows Phone might not be THAT useful given today's market share.

I honestly think there is some sort of deal between SB and Apple. They can;t be losing a couple bucks every download. That would make no sense. While I agree with you, adding WP (and even Google Play or Windows 8, which will have much better marketshare than any other option) to the mix would be nice. This way, no matter what platform you use, you get the apps/ videos, songs, or whatever equally easily. Unless SB has some sort of exclusivity, I am sure MS could do something to sweeten the deal for them.

 

[AZBrowncoat]

Doesn't necessarily have to be Starbucks...there are plenty of cross-promotional opportunities available with various companies.

Even a "Free App of the Day/Week/Month" that could be shareable over social media sites would help increase awareness. When I find good free songs on the Google Play store I often share those over Google+ as there is a 'share' button right there - that goes out to my entire G+ circle. Facebook integration would be better IMHO as it has a more active user base. Apple has found great success with their free weekly downloads and a similar program leveraged heavily with social media could stimulate use of the MS ecosystem (Apps, Games, Media).

 

[brmiller1976]

They should work the "we're both from Seattle" angle. And with the music that plays on dynamic displays in Starbucks locations, make sure it's XBox Music playing.

 

[PG2G]

I think you need to look at it from the three groups involved and see who benefits and how to see if its worth it...

Consumer: Get free apps for going into Starbucks
Starbucks: Get additional foot traffic, generating additional revenue from sales
Microsoft: Make existing consumers happy

The issues...

Starbucks: That additional foot traffic is around 1/20th of what they get from an iOS or Android promotion. Advertising the promotion to get that foot traffic costs more than revenue generated
Microsoft: Would rather spend the funds to create new consumers instead of giving existing ones free stuff

So, from my perspective, these sort of promotions don't make sense yet

 

[CJ Thunder]

Microsoft: Would rather spend the funds to create new consumers instead of giving existing ones free stuff

Most true, but MS needs to work on the whole ecosystem with partnerships. iTunes gets advertised via partnership on all the singing shows, Xbox Music what? Where?

A free app would make me go to Starbucks more, not make me switch, I feel that is true for the majority as well.

 

[lordofthereef]

Starbucks: That additional foot traffic is around 1/20th of what they get from an iOS or Android promotion. Advertising the promotion to get that foot traffic costs more than revenue generated
Microsoft: Would rather spend the funds to create new consumers instead of giving existing ones free stuff

Advertsising the promotion? It would take printing an extra code and the WP logo onto the already existing cards. Again, that is if Starbucks is the one eating all the costs here. Everyone keeps repeating this, but I am not so sure. Do we know that Apple has "nothing to do"* with the free apps Starbucks offers?

Also, while I get that MS would rather spend the money getting new consumers, EVERYONE is enveloped by apps, apps apps. What is the first question people ask about any OS when switching? "Can I have my apps back?" Giving away said apps would all be part of it.

Another thought I had, though costs would be even higher per person, is if there was some way to prove which apps you purchased on another platform and then having MS "transfer" those apps to your phone for free. That would do a lot in getting new users to adopt the platform. My wife is excited about WP too, and will be getting one with her concession line here soon, but her biggest gripe is having to deal with rebuying a lot of apps. Granted, for her, it's going to come out to < $10, I am sure, but still. People don't like to repurchase something they have already bought, even if it does turn out to be only a couple of bucks.

*By "nothing to do" I mean that Apple isn't helping pay for or subsidizing the apps in any way.

 

[lordofthereef]

Doesn't necessarily have to be Starbucks...there are plenty of cross-promotional opportunities available with various companies.

I completely agree. That's why I mentioned the coffee bean. Months ago I was reading that Nokia was doing something with inductive chargers built into tables at the coffee bean. Just set your 920 down while having a coffee and benefit from a bit of extra charge. It doesn't have to be starbucks. ****, McCafe is popular as ****. Partnering with them would be a sweet deal too. Or really any other place where that people frequent that happens to be a social spot.

 

[inteller]

They did this with Zune and Mcdonalds way back when. You could get free wifi from them (back when free wifi was hard to come by). But then ATT bought Waypoint and that deal went out the window.

 

[scottcraft]

I think it would be pretty cool if Starbucks or McDonalds or someone else along that line had wireless charging set up. That would be great advertisement for WP having colorful Lumias and 8X's charging on peoples tables.

 

[PG2G]

Advertsising the promotion? It would take printing an extra code and the WP logo onto the already existing cards. Again, that is if Starbucks is the one eating all the costs here. Everyone keeps repeating this, but I am not so sure. Do we know that Apple has "nothing to do"* with the free apps Starbucks offers?

If the goal is to get more foot traffic by giving away stuff for free, you need to advertise so that people actually know such a promotion exists. I'm not sure how good such a promotion is if the only people that know about it are the ones that go to strabucks already

 

[lordofthereef]

If the goal is to get more foot traffic by giving away stuff for free, you need to advertise so that people actually know such a promotion exists. I'm not sure how good such a promotion is if the only people that know about it are the ones that go to strabucks already

Huh? Do you know how many people frequent Starbucks per day? McDonald's? Dunkin', [insert nationwide franchise here]?