Pinterest Ads success story · Coffeehouse chain

How Starbucks Canada brought new customers into its stores with a fall Pinterest campaign.

Name: Overtop Media Digital Marketing
Address: 933 Louise Ave Suite 101-18, Charlotte, NC, 28204, US
Telephone: (704) 237-0707
Price range: $$

For many Canadians, fall starts with a seasonal Starbucks drink. Starbucks Canada wanted its fall menu to be a discovery for new customers too, and a Pinterest campaign measured in real store visits showed it worked.

Business: Starbucks Canada
Market: Canada
Goal: More store visits, including from new customers

Hand holding a ceramic cup of hot drink beside a plate of pastries and autumn leaves

The results.

Cost per store visit compared with vertical benchmarks. Engagement and video completion compared with benchmarks and quick service restaurant industry standards.

Over 25%of store visits from people who were not recent visitors
Over 15%lower cost per store visit than vertical benchmarks
2.2Xhigher engagement rate on Carousel Pins than benchmarks
2.6Xhigher video completion rate than quick service restaurant standards

A Pinterest foot traffic study run with a third-party location data provider, Q3 2024, for store visits and cost per visit. Engagement and video completion from Pinterest Ads Manager, August 22 to November 6, 2024.

The challenge.

Starbucks Canada’s fall menu is a seasonal ritual for its regulars. The brand wanted it to be more than a treat for loyal customers: a reason for people who had not visited in the past year to come back, or to come in for the first time.

That meant reaching two groups at once, loyal fans and lapsed or new customers, and proving the campaign did more than collect likes. The real measure would be people walking through the door.

Pinterest example of a Premiere Spotlight ad, a premium video placement at the top of the app

What they did.

Image, carousel, showcase and video ads · Collages · Two Total Moment Takeovers

A clear audience: The campaign targeted adults aged 25 to 49 with interests in coffee, breakfast and seasonal flavors.
Many formats: Image ads, Carousels, Showcase ads and video all ran, and Starbucks was the first quick service restaurant to use Pinterest Collages, among the Pinterest ad formats.
Owning the moment: Two Total Moment Takeovers, premium placements in which a brand owns three high-impact fixed spots on Pinterest for a single day, tied Starbucks to key fall moments.
Measured in stores: A brand lift study and a foot traffic study tracked actual store visits, using Pinterest’s measurement tools.

Why it worked.

Our read on the decisions behind the numbers, and what any business can take from them.

Seasonal creative sells the mood: Steaming drinks and pastries against rich autumn colors invited people to picture a cozy break in a busy fall day.
Formats that hold attention: Carousels and video gave people more to explore, which showed in engagement and completion rates well above the norm.
Big moments, owned: Takeover placements on key days put the brand in front of a large audience exactly when fall was on everyone’s mind.
Measured where it counts: Store visits, not just clicks. The campaign lifted visits across Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, and brought in people who were not regulars.

How we would run this play for your business.

You do not need a national budget to use the same ideas. This is how Overtop Media Digital Marketing puts them to work in our pinterest ads management.

Measure foot traffic: We connect ads to store visits, calls and directions requests, so a restaurant or shop sees real-world results. Our analytics services set it up.
Target your area: Ads reach people near your locations with the interests that match your menu or products.
Plan around the seasons: Seasonal menus, holidays and local events become campaigns planned weeks ahead, with fresh creative each time.
Pair with local search: People who see you on Pinterest look you up next. Our Google Ads management and Pinterest ads management work together.