THE OBJECT:

A dishwasher safe permanent sticker that gets stuck to any reusable cup. It is small in scale and fabricated with ecologically sound plastic, adhesive and fade-proof dye. The sticker has the person’s first name and a unique identifier in qr code printed on it.

THE SYSTEM & APPLICATION:

More than a loyalty program, this is about improving the process of buying a cup of coffee. By attaching a sticker with the person’s unique identity that holds their drink of choice and cost to the reusable cup, this rewards the customer (and the coffee shop) immediately by saving time; Skip the line and just hand it to the barista. They’ll scan it, see your drink order and call you when it’s ready. This also helps counter the argument that disposable cups are more convenient.

scenario: The user signs up and creates an account online (their unique identity) specifying their initial drink settings and (if they choose) their preset daily spending credit for their sticker.  They receive the sticker (perhaps a few spares for extra cups) in the mail and stick it to their cup. At anytime the user can check their settings with their mobile phone and login (via mobile or pc) if they want to review and change those settings. On the coffee shop’s side they also have a vendor account created where they can submit their shop data to the system and setup/add/customize their loyalty program.

Since the data is unique and dynamic it is not only instantly customizable (for the user and the vendor) but the system can evolve and adapt over time. The data can be as simple as the drink order, cost and purchase tracking for loyalty programs (at different coffee shops). But it can also be more complex; a second choice drink if something’s not available, time settings so in the morning the cup gets filled with coffee but in the evening tea, etc. It also encourages users to be connected to the coffee shops via the online application, which can have many peripheral benefits.

Yes, reusable cups are out there and most people aren’t using them in the coffee shops. The “Stuck on Reusable” sticker program is the change catalyst that will get them used more often, by more people.

MORE DETAILS ON THE INCENTIVES & BENEFITS:

NOTE: The design of this entry is focused more on the variety of incentives for all members of the ecosystem that are involved in “the act of purchasing of a cup of coffee.” They are as follows:  

INCENTIVE #1 – CONVENIENCE: GET YOUR COFFEE (MUCH) FASTER.The customer doesn’t have to wait in line. They can just give the cup to the barista, the barista then scans the code to see the drink order and receive payment. The customer shortens the purchasing process. And the shop skips a lot of processing steps: getting the drink order, getting their name, processing their payment; all leading to an increase in turnover and decrease in errors.  More employees would be making drinks and less would be processing orders.

INCENTIVE #2 – WORKS WITH ANY COOL REUSABLE CUP YOU LIKE.This competition will be yielding a variety of cool and environmentally-friendly  reusable cup ideas. Also, different people have different design needs for their cups. The sticker could be put on any of them.  If particular cups have a very low ecological impact, the bonuses from their loyalty program could be kicked up a notch; If not from the coffee shop, from the Stuck on Reusable program itself.  

INCENTIVE #3 – CUSTOMIZATION: DIFFERENT LEVELS OF PRIVACYSometimes people are uncomfortable with divulging personal information, (while others are just used to it). If you don’t want your credit card or birthday etc. attached to the cup, you can just have the price and the drink data attached to the qr code. The cashier just needs the price. The barista just needs the order. The user will still be able to reap the other benefits of the sticker.  

Likewise, the coffee shop can opt to divulge more or less information. For example on the participating shop location app you could see how crowded (or empty) the coffee shop is.

INCENTIVE #4 – CUSTOMIZATION: INFORMATION & CONVENIENCE ACCORDING TO CONTEXT.

If your deli just sells regular coffee, your sticker will just tell them “lots of skim milk, one packet of sugar.” But when you go to Starbucks, you cannot resist a tall “extra-hot no-whip half-sweet gingerbread latte” (when they have gingerbread, otherwise you’ll get the caramel version. And between noon and 1:30 you always prefer to have your cup filled with green tea. The data on your unique identity can be customized however the user prefers and yield different information for different contexts. It can also act as a universal loyalty card; keeping track of when you’re next cup is your “10^th cup free” at any particular coffee shop. (And if the customer has opted for text messages, they’ll get an alert when they’re at cup #10, when they’re within a ¼ mile of that particular coffee shop.)

INCENTIVE #5 – CUSTOMIZATION: INSTANT ACCESS

Say a customer wants to change their cup’s designated drink, they can instantly log in on their mobile phone and specify a new drink. Say their cup gets stolen, they can instantly nullify that sticker. Say a buddy at the office wants to get himself a cup of coffee. Lend him your cup – launch your “Stuck on Reusable” app and change the settings for the next hour: auto-pay off and enter his drink. He’ll get a little discount and you’ll be closer to your free cup as well as getting a referral bonus prize for introducing a new person to the Stuck on Reusable system.

INCENTIVE #6 – PROMOTING UBIQUITY: CENTRALIZED SUPPORT & A MULTITUDE OF INTERACTION POSSIBILITIES.

A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM: While a stock of stickers could be kept at the shop, it would be better to be purchased online. There would be a centralized ordering, setup and support center, and this also allows the person to get their name printed on it. This significantly limits the time and money invested on the part of the coffee shop. In addition, by virtue of signing on to the centralized program, their coffee shop location and other data are instantly accessible to an entirely new community of customers.

LOW ENTRY BARRIER: Because there is scaling complexity, the initial setup on the users end can be very basic, and still reap significant rewards. On the vendors side, they would need the scanning and readout hardware; A relatively small investment considering they’re expediting their ordering process, saving on cup purchases, getting the benefits of the Stuck on Reusable marketing and tapping into a significant community of coffee drinkers.  

LOYALTY PROGRAM ADOPTABILITY: A reason people cite for not participating in loyalty programs is because they don’t go the same place all the time. The Stuck on Reusable system helps resolve that by keeping track of different shops and drink orders, leading to more customer participation.

MORE MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES: There are more opportunities aside from customizing the loyalty program. Smaller delis could scan your code and see that you want a bagel with cream cheese with your coffee in the mornings. Bigger companies could hold sweepstakes. (You know you’ve won the grand prize when a 3d Starbucks mermaid appears in augmented reality on top of your qr code. The possibilities can evolve and are endless).

EXPANDING THE PROGRAM: So say you always get your coffee at work. Perhaps at the office there’s a Stuck on Reusable program. When a group’s office reaches say 500 cups saved, the boss buys them lunch.  The system would have to be tailored for the office environment, but the sticker would be the same one they use at the coffee shops.

INCENTIVE #7 – BEING CONNECTED: ONLINE AND OTHERWISE

This system strongly promotes customers being connected to their coffee shops via the online apps. This can benefit both sides by getting more data about coffee shop locations, hours and special offers. Also, when there are more touch points (of value) between the shop and the customer, and the shop can easily learn your name… you feel more connected emotionally; part of a community that knows you and wants to reward you and make things just the way you like it.

Thanks for your time.

-Emily

(qr code order: small latte with skim milk.)