Starbucks’ brand perception slipped substantially after the chain announced it would make changes to its rewards program in April, a new consumer survey says.
Eight days after the rewards program announcement, customers' perception of Starbucks had fallen by about half, according to the latest “Buzz” measurement from market-research firm YouGov BrandIndex.
The brand’s Buzz score fell from 60 points on the day of the announcement to 29 points on Feb. 29, YouGov BrandIndex says. Brand perception is rated on a score of -100 to 100.
During that same span, the number of customers who said they “would consider making their next purchase” at Starbucks fell by 9 percentage points.
The loyalty program changes—which include making the points customers earn relative to the dollars they spend—saw considerable backlash on social media.
Starbucks has said that tying rewards points to dollars spent was the No. 1 request it received from customers.
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