I have mixed feelings about Starbucks, but I can't deny their ability to market their product so well. Most people I know have switched from instant coffee to Starbucks' line of coffee due to many reasons. Some claim that it is the taste, some claim that it is the prestige as they look cool sipping a cup of Americano from Starbucks.
As I walk by the local Starbucks in my neighborhood daily, I can't help but wonder, how can we market education the same way as Starbucks does. Of course, I am not talking about students coming into the class asking for a Venti or a Grande homework to take away. I am referring to how learning has become so boring and such a chore that it demotivates students from learning.
Thus, if someone was looking to revamp the education system and took a few cues from the way Starbucks ran their business, from promoting their products to setting up their cafes, I think there are a few important lessons that can be learnt.
They're Everywhere
Starbucks cafes are everywhere in most major cities. In my city alone, I count at least six Starbucks and they are all barely 10 minutes apart. The reason for this is to be within reach when someone needs a coffee. So when it comes to learning, how convenient are we making it for our students? There are many aspects of learning conveniently that we can talk about but let's look at a few important ones.
First, can the students learn at their own convenience? In other words, is the system allowing the students to learn at their own pace? In many situations this is not the case. Students are expected to understand concepts immediately, they are rarely allowed time to makes mistakes nor practice on items that they are not familiar with.
Second, the use of exams does take the convenience away from learning. Students are required to learn a particular concept before a particular time. Thus, if a student is not able to grasp a certain concept before the final exam, they will be required to repeat the entire year. Thus, this demotivates them and takes the fun out of learning altogether.
Social Media Presence
Starbucks and many other companies have dominated the social media space. It is not uncommon to find an advertisement on Facebook or Youtube promoting their product. The same strategy is used to promote university courses. When a university's marketing department decides to sell a course, they will not sell the academic side of the course. However, the university would promote what difference one could make upon completion of the course. In addition, the university would also market the purpose, prestige and even fun aspects of the course.
When it comes to schools however, such advertisements are nonexistent. Of course, there is no need for this as school is mandatory in most countries. However, the focus should not be on winning customers, but the heart of students, This is because if we are not able to convince them that school has a purpose and that could change their lives, the students will likely channel their efforts elsewhere. The power of social media is indeed a powerful tool. Aside from having the potential to win over the students' hearts and minds, social media can make you care.
They Make You Care
Most Starbucks have brochures on where the coffee comes from, how the living conditions are in those places and how Starbucks is doing something to bring change to the community's lives. Starbucks makes you care for the product, from the farmers all the way to how the drink is produced, it even seems as if purchasing a drink from them means contributing to their community efforts.
As such, the old purpose of learning just does not work with students these days. If you tell a student to go to school to study hard, go to a good university and get a good job, it will likely not motivate them to study harder. From my experience, students are looking for meaningful projects. Projects that they can commit to and make a difference.
Preparing the students to be passionate and care for something that could one day become a career should start from school. Schools should be the place where the system teaches the students to care for problems that are plaguing our world. Exams and assignments can be given in the form of projects where students research the solution and problems of the subjects that they are learning.
In sum, learning should be made convenient, meaningful and tied to current issues. I'm off for a nice grande Americano. Writing about Starbucks makes me crave for coffee.
