I’ll have a decaf, non-fat, soy… Trenta?!

StarbucksIn case you haven’t heard or aren’t in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia, Starbucks has introduced a Trenta cup. These lucky states are the first to be able to order this size. Or are they lucky?

According to the website, CalorieLab, there is more fluid in a Trenta-sized drink than the human stomach, which holds an average of 900 ml.! The Trenta cup holds 916 ml!! And that’s just the beginning… what about the calories in such a large drink?! Starbucks claims that you can get a Trenta-sized iced drink for under 230 calories. But CalorieLab reveals that most Starbucks’ iced drinks don’t make that cut at the Venti size, which is seven ounces smaller.

This is a long-time marketing trick. Right now, most people view the Venti as a splurge… the excessively large drink. So most customers probably choose the Grande, the middle size. But with the Trenta on the menu, the Venti starts to look more reasonable. Starbucks is most likely hoping that the Venti takes the place of the Grande, in terms of sales, ultimately increasing the company’s overall profits.

So, the question that remains — at least for Starbucks marketing execs is… which size will you choose?

26. January 2011 by Ruth Folger Weiss
Categories: Advertising, Marketing | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment