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The historical explanation for why consumers were willing to pay $5 for a cup of coffee they could get at a street corner cart or diner for a buck is something called the “Starbucks Experience.”

You know, that it was a kind of Euro-cool experience where you could sit, read a newspaper, close your eyes and feel as if you were sitting at an outdoor cafe in Paris or Rome. Or, simply, someplace to plug in your computer, tap into the wi-fi, and work at your own leisurely pace.

As loyalty is much more emotional than rational, those experiences accounted for 87% of the raison d’être (or “scopo” in Italian) to the consumer inclination to fork out significantly more dough for a cup of joe. So, it’s an emotional thing to be sure.

But what if you remove that part of the out-of-home coffee equation? If the “Starbucks Experience” disappears, is Starbucks still Starbucks? Take a look at an answer to that enigma in Fast Casual Magazine or The Customer.

For lots of out-of-home coffee consumers, coffee is more than just a caffeine delivery-system. It’s an experience. Something Starbucks – and all brands that rely on UX strategies – need to remember.

Find out more about what makes customer loyalty happen and how Brand Keys metrics is able to predict future consumer behavior: brandkeys.com. Visit our YouTube channel to learn more about Brand Keys methodology, applications and case studies.