Starbucks Reward Shows Up in Instagram Feed

Paying generosity forward with a cup of coffee is not a new concept, but it has received a socially distanced upgrade in recent weeks.

People with large followings on Instagram have expressed gratitude to their followers by posting the barcode of a digital Starbucks gift card that people can use to make a purchase.

"Have a treat on me," Uyen Carlson posted on Feb. 4 with a screenshot of a $100 Starbucks gift card. "These go so fast so please be a nice person and limit yourself to one treat so it can spread more love around."

Later, she reposted images her followers shared of their free drinks.

Carlson, who goes by @house_of_lu on Instagram, founded a children's clothing brand and shares her family life with four children in Phoenix with 38,000 followers.

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How the virtual Starbucks gift cards work

The funds on the Starbucks gift cards are first-come, first-served, and are often depleted within the hour. The person who purchased the gift card does not appear to have the ability to track how their followers use the money and whether they are following the tacit honor system.

Jess Conte, an influencer who shares her daily home life and videos of herself singing  with 2 million followers on Instagram, shared a Starbucks gift card barcode on her Instagram Story on Feb. 10.

"This is a first come first served type of thing, so please just one drink per person so multiple people can have a coffee on me," she wrote over the image of the card. "I've never done this before but wanted to try as a little thank you for your love + support!"

Starbucks has not responded to requests for information on this practice. We'll update  this story when more information is available.

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Gifting coffee to strangers is not new

In Italy, the practice of buying coffee for a stranger is called caffè sospeso — or a suspended coffee — and was born in Naples.

The idea is that a customer experiencing good fortune would pay for two coffees, one for themselves and another for a stranger. Anyone who cannot afford a cup of coffee could ask a barista whether a suspended coffee is available for them to redeem.

In 2014, Kathy Cano-Murillo, who goes by @CraftyChica, wrote a blog post titled "That Day I Gave Out Free Starbucks!" On Black Friday, the Phoenix-based author and artist shared that she posted a screenshot of a Starbucks gift card barcode on her Snapchat story.

"It was like a Random Act of Kindness for social media followers and friends!" she wrote on her blog.

This was not a one-time act of kindness. Cano-Murillo told The Republic that she does this giveaway for her birthday every year, but instead of Snapchat she now posts on her Instagram Stories.

Sunday Mag, an online magazine for pastors and churches looking to connect with potential new members and engage their communities over social media, published an article about this practice in February 2020.

"A clever and fairly inexpensive way to show your social media followers that you love them (and increase your reach at the same time) is to share a Starbucks card on social media," Justin Dean, a church communications advisor, wrote.

Dean warns in the post that the person gifting the funds should remove the card and pin numbers so others cannot add the funds to their account. Those redeeming the gift card can do so by asking a cashier to scan the barcode.

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How sharing Starbucks gift cards benefits influencers

Giving free coffee to followers isn't entirely an act of gratitude.

When BuzzFeed News reporter Stephanie McNeal asked her Instagram followers about this trend on Feb. 8, some of them responded that it is "a growth hack."

Some of those who see a gift card in an influencer's Instagram Story might share it with their family and friends. The influencer can track how many times their post is shared, and that increased engagement with the account is valuable.

Influencers often earn money by partnering with brands to advertise their products and services, so a higher level of engagement can mean more opportunities and higher pay rates.

While an influencer's follower count is important when being considered for sponsorships and brand deals, Instagram bot followers can be purchased. The engagement rate is a relatively more accurate way to gauge their level of influence.

"(It's) also fun and nice," McNeal noted.

Reach the reporter at kimi.robinson@gannett.com or at 602-444-4968. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobin and Instagram @ReporterKiMi.

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Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/media/2021/02/25/free-virtual-starbucks-gift-card-instagram-influencers/6729849002/

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