Starbucks Appoints We Are Social as Lead Strategic and Creative Agency

Global socially-led creative agency, We Are Social, has been appointed as Starbucks EMEA Strategic and Creative agency following a competitive pitch. 

The three year contract will be led by We Are Social London with Socialize, acquired by We Are Social in 2018, handling the Middle East delivery. We Are Social will be partnering with Starbucks to make a game-changing approach to their EMEA marketing strategy via a new social-first, hyper-localised, culturally relevant creative strategy, disproportionately building brand equity and driving growth with Gen Z and Millennial audiences. Alongside delivering the new brand strategy, We Are Social will be responsible for delivering market led social strategy and brand campaigns alongside a unique approach to staying connected to culture.

The pitching process began in July through Creativebrief, with the appointment marking the end of the brand’s five-year relationship with incumbent agency, Iris. 

Jim Coleman, UK CEO at We Are Social said, “World class iconic brands don’t get any bigger than Starbucks so we are naturally thrilled to start this relationship. Their ambition to engage directly with a Gen Z audience represents the sort of fresh thinking modern brands need to take to remain relevant today. There was an immediate chemistry and connection with the Starbucks team who shared the same ambition of putting cultural insights at the heart of the strategy.”

Sarah Harris marketing director, EMEA at Starbucks said, “We Are Social have demonstrated their expertise and enthusiasm when it comes to connecting with Gen Z and Millennial audiences and we are incredibly excited to begin this new journey together.”