If there's a band and a brand that does not require any introduction right now, it would be BTS and Starbucks, respectively. BTS is the epitome of K-pop talent & success with international hits and legions of fans across the planet. Starbucks is known for its coffee but increasingly its range of limited-edition merchandise. The two have teamed up in South Korea for a limited edition promotion that is inspirational to anyone interested in marketing.

Limited Edition Promotional Merchandise

Starbucks South Korea features a lot of limited promo campaigns and is well-known for having a one product per customer purchase limit as a result, but their latest drive, which partners the coffee juggernaut with BTS in a promotion known as "Be The Brightest Star" is already sold out in most stores despite only opening on the 21st of January! Obviously, loyalty to the band and the Starbucks chain goes a long way to getting people in shops and investing in the custom goodies on offer, but there's a bit more to the overwhelming success of this campaign than just existing fans.

Supporting a Charitable Cause

Part of the proceeds from the collaborative products (all purple, like the night sky) will go to the Beautiful Foundation, which helps support the aspirational goals of underprivileged South Korean youth. If you want to make a campaign stand out, consider building it around supporting community organisations -- people like to feel that their money is going somewhere useful.

Stylish, Reusable Custom Products

Another appealing element of this campaign is that these aren't single-use or disposable products; the "Be The Brightest" collaborative merchandise is absolutely gorgeous to look at, AND it is designed for continued use. From promotional logo coffee cups to personalised glasswares and laptop sleeves, there's a lot in this range that fans of BTS and Starbucks will undoubtedly want to use daily. Even the stylish paper bags in which customers receive their goods can be recycled. This is something to keep in mind for your own marketing -- opting for products that will be reused often or can be recycled/biodegrade easily will help you stand out from the crowd in a positive way.

Consider What Your Target Audience Values

Obviously, it is easy to ensure marketing success when you feature a collaboration between one of the biggest coffee chains in the world and one of the biggest bands on the planet. However, for those of us working in a local cleaning business or regional real estate office, there's still plenty to be learned from this range of merchandise. Yes, it helps to have BTS branded onto your goods, but regardless of what decoration you add, the product itself must be desirable and useful to your intended recipient. Young women are the primary members of the BTS and Starbucks fanbases, so the products being sold for this campaign are chic and functional (like a case to carry their laptops or tablets in, cute drinkware, and easy-to-spot branded keyrings).

Take the lead with your own campaign by considering what is important to the audience you wish to target. Maybe it is busy office workers who might need to drink on-the-go in which case, reusable coffee cups are all the rage. Maybe you want to raise brand awareness among your customer base of tradies, in which case promotional caps for wearing on the job or sunscreen for keeping handy will be sure to catch their eyes. At the end of the day whether you're marketing to K-pop fans or elderly cat owners, matching a quality product with your logo to the right consumer is the key to success.

Collaboration details found here: https://www.delish.com/food-news/a30568964/starbucks-k-pop-group-bts/