Starbucks Brews up a Unique Approach to Benefits Education

Starbucks reimagined its stock plan benefits education and communication approach with a highly engaging, employee-first strategy tailored specifically to its baristas. The goal was to increase participation in the Bean Stock reward program by bridging knowledge gaps in related financial education.

The campaign was designed for and from the perspective of these frontline employees, who often lack dedicated workspace or time for benefits training. It delivered accessible video-based learning that baristas could consume on mobile devices at their convenience, during breaks in their busy days.

The content was meticulously curated to focus on key financial literacy topics necessary for understanding their equity award program (Starbucks Bean Stock). To maximize engagement, UPTICK used a playful animation style that recreated the elements of a barista's workday environment in 2-D form to make financial education feel approachable and entertaining to them. The tone of the narration was kept friendly and conversational—akin to a peer explaining key concepts. The end result was a thoughtfully crafted series of easily digestible video shorts.

To serve as a traffic-driving hook, an additional interactive video was released via email, featuring real photos of baristas submitted from around the world. Adding this human element to the campaign fostered a sense of belonging for employees and drove viewers to the library of animated shorts, to continue watching and learning.

With this effort, Starbucks established an innovative model for internal benefits education – one that captures employees’ attention by delivering on-demand ‘infotainment’ that felt uniquely tailored to its target audience. The one-two punch of real-world imagery & animated storytelling made complex financial information digestible and engaging. The initiative enabled baristas to more easily understand how to take advantage of their Bean Stock reward program, while at the same time sending them a warm, culture-boosting message of recognition and gratitude.