Starbucks, one of the most recognized coffee chains in the world, teamed up with Polygon to take their Web3 experience to another level. They will offer a new experience called “Starbucks Odyssey”.
In NFTexpress I have made a note about the news that Starbucks Coffee Company was planning to join the NFTs industry and also dive into web3 to provide its customers with an innovative way to join the “Starbucks Rewards” loyalty program.Last September 12, one of the most recognized multinationals in the coffee industry, has announced its alliance with Polygon, with the aim of working together to provide blockchain technology and build the web3 experience called “Starbucks Odyssey”.
The partnership between the two companies will generate the experience through Starbucks to the web3 and give Starbucks Rewards loyalty program members, partners and U.S. employees (for now) the opportunity to earn and purchase stamps.
The stamps, created on the web3, will function as digital collectibles in non-fungible token (NFTs) formats. Starbucks has communicated that Polygon is a perfect fit, as the loyalty program experience will be one-of-a-kind and driven by the low fees and high transaction speeds of the Polygon Pos (Proof of Stake) network.
On the other hand, the implementation of web technology3 will seek to find a new and innovative way for Starbucks to interact with members of its loyalty program in exciting ways.
Starting September 12, customers and partners can join the waiting list for a chance to be the first to receive access to the “Starbucks Odyssey” experience. WAITING LIST for a chance to be the first to receive access to the “Starbucks Odyssey” experience, which does not yet have an exact launch date, but is expected to be this year.
The benefits to be obtained by being part of the loyalty program could include:
Unlock access to different experiences
Unique Starbucks coffee-oriented products
Collaborations with artists
Invitations and participation in exclusive events
Ryan Butz, vice president of loyalty, strategy and marketing for Starbucks Coffee Company, spoke about the partnership with Polygon, building Starbucks Odyssey and said they have done thorough and thoughtful research on which blockchain to use that has the technology and alignment Starbucks needed to create this new industry on NFTs to add more value to the brand and be able to realize the first digital community for the most recognized coffee brand in the world.
WHAT EXACTLY IS STARBUCKS ODYSSEY?
Starbucks Odyssey will be part of the Starbucks Rewards program, a platform that members can access using their login credentials. After logging in, users/customers will be able to enter the new Odyssey section and participate in a series of activities, interactive games and fun challenges to learn about everything from coffee to Starbucks. For completing all these different activities, members will be rewarded with a “travel stamp”, a collectible with NFT technology.
In addition, members of the program will be able to purchase “limited edition stamps” (NFTs), as the platform will have an integrated internal marketplace to generate a one hundred percent effective experience within the Starbucks Odyssey web application. As part of the innovation with NFTs, “limited edition stamps” will also be available for members who obtain physical products with a credit card.
On the other hand, they have officially communicated that no crypto wallet or cryptocurrencies will be required. Starbucks has communicated that this will make the experience a fun and easy way for members to access this new technology and efficiently claim their loyalty with Starbucks. From my point of view, this hinders a bit the innovation of the coffee-oriented multinational, since, what is blockchain technology and all its ecosystem such as NFTs, cryptocurrencies and web3 boasts for having as much decentralization as possible. We will have to see how the user interface and the information that Starbucks needs for users to immerse themselves in this new paradigm.
Each NFT has a point value based on its rarity, the monetary value of which will be uploaded by users and can be bought or sold within the internal marketplace generated by the Starbucks web application, all secured by the Polygon blockchain.
Members who collect NFTs will earn points that will increase and unlock access to the benefits and experiences described above.
In addition, Starbucks has officially confirmed that there will be experiences ranging from virtual classes to learn how to prepare an espresso martini, to exclusive trips to the Starbucks Hacienda Alsacia coffee farm located in Costa Rica.
The NFTs will be iconic works of art created in partnerships with emerging artists and exclusive Starbucks partners with the goal of generating unique digital assets for the first time. Finally, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the NFTs will go to support important charitable causes.
TO BUILD A NEW SERVICE WITH LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY IN MIND
Starbucks, among its decisions in choosing which blockchain to use, opted for Polygon, since, this blockchain has committed to becoming carbon negative by the end of the year and has already offset the accumulated CO2 debt of its network. The Merge of Ethereum and its transfer from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS) will further reduce Polygon’s PoS carbon footprint by 99.91%.
POLYGON
Polygon PoS became a blockchain used for many web3 projects, including DeFi protocols such as Aave, Uniswap V3 and NFT marketplaces such as OpenSea.In addition, thanks to the technical capabilities of the network, brands and companies that want to open the door to blockchain technology have chosen Polygon as the default blockchain, among the organizations are for example: Adobe, Stripe and Dolce & Gabbana.
Finally, Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon said that Starbucks’ decision to choose its blockchain is clearly a sign that both companies aim to place great importance on diversity, accessibility and sustainability.
Written by Rodrigo Catalan (TW: @RodrigoCatalanB) for NFT Express.