Starbucks: Please Don't


By Lewis Green


There they go again. Starbucks Corp. is on a mission to boost sales of glittery snow globes and other non-coffee items.

Been there, done that, and not very well.

I joined Starbucks in the mid-'90s, left to start my consultancy in the late '90s, but remain a committed believer in the brand and its core purpose. In other words, I am a faithful Starbuckian, whose duty it always will be to love the Company and to speak out when I think it is going astray.

Starbucks, to me, is a brand that should be emulated by anyone wanting to build a business the right way. But even the greatest companies get off coarse occasionally, and for Starbucks merchandise sales seems to be its recurring Achilles' heel.

Without going into all the history, Starbucks core purpose is not about cookie trays, Christmas ornaments or warm and fuzzy "bearistas." It is about the Third Place Experience and providing the best coffeehouse value in the world. Starbucks partners (employees) understand this and so do Starbucks loyal customers; nevertheless, executives, in an effort to add more profit, once again delude themselves into believing that merchandise that goes beyond the coffeehouse experience fits into the Company's core purpose. They have even hired a new Vice President to make it happen.

Once and for all, Christmas merchandise is not part of Starbucks core purpose and it does not enhance the Third Place Experience. In fact, it detracts from the experience.What it does do is clutter the floors with items we customers don't want. We become confused and frustrated by the merchandising of non-coffeehouse junk, which results in brand dilution. It makes us feel as if Starbucks is just another retailer trying to get into our pockets.

Why, Starbucks, do you do this? You are too good to fall victim to this wrongful thinking? For all our sakes, get back to your core purpose. Make us proud again.

Lewis Green is the Founder and Managing Principal of L&G; Business Solutions, a managing consultancy focused on brand, marketing PR and sales. He is a former Starbucks partner (employee).


More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Branding Information:

Related Articles

The Very Basics of Design
Design is a very subjective thing, therefore, if you ask me how to come up with a first class design for your marketing collateral or publishing mediums, it would be very unfair for me or anyone else to tell you what is a good design and what is a bad design. But there are certain elements and principles that we should look for in a design to determine whether the design and layout of the material will be able to carry the message across effectively to the readers and your potential market.
Are You Brand Worthy?
Branding is one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more unclear.
Optimize Your Mailing List For Better Results
A list of customers who have previously bought from you is your most important asset. These are the customers who will provide you with return business, which is more profitable than the first sale.
Brand Your Consulting Brilliance
Today's competitive marketplace for consulting services is no longer responsive to the marketing strategies that worked in the past. The services you provide should speak volumes about your consulting business.
How To Create A Brand That Sticks
Most people, when they hear the word branding, think logos - but in fact, branding is really much more than that. A brand involves blending the image, purpose, and focus of your business, with your core marketing message, and coming up with something which will stick in the minds of people who encounter it.
Don't Get Caught In the Trap: The BIG Difference Between Personal and Business Branding
When you're all alone in the privacy of your home office, surrounded by your computer, your phone and your business idea, have you ever asked yourself, "Where's the line between me in my business and the business in me"?With hundreds of thousands of home-based businesses starting every year, and few ever flourishing, the topic of branding has become hot, hot, hot. And thanks to experts touting the need for a personal brand in sole proprietor businesses the confusion is growing.
Picking The Design Company Which Is Right For You
So you've decided to go for it-you're ready to choose a design company to create your logo and other marketing materials. It seems easy enough.
Three Brand Identity Myths That Will Bring Your Business Down
To begin, let's define "Brand Identity," which is the combination of consistent visual elements that are used in your marketing materials. A basic Brand Identity Kit consists of a logo, business card, letterhead, and envelope.
Revealing the Roots: The Process of Building Brand
How is branding different than marketing?Branding is not so much different from marketing as it is an element of marketing. We think of marketing as a tree; the brand is the roots, holding the tree in place and providing constant energy.
Does Your Message Pass the Test?
Develop an effective benefit message and you're well on your way to building your company's entire marketing program. After all, you need focus to create success.
A Lesson in Branding from Paris Hilton
I have never been a fan of Paris Hilton.I see her parading around in her odd-looking clothing choices, leading her loyal following of giddy anorexic schoolgirls around by their noses, and I think, "Skank.
Branding: Bring Back the Jingle!
Did you grow up in the '70s and '80s? If so, you probably have a slew of campy jingles from various TV commercials filed away in your brain. Today, advertisers still use jingles to help identify their brand, but not nearly as much as they did "back in the day.
Corporate Identity - A Rough Guide
A rough guide to corporate identityThe tabloids report the millions spent by large corporate companies on their logos as a scandal..
A Successful Failure
A successfully positioned business sometimes doesn't win a new client. And that, my friend, is the point.
Branding Your Business To Make More Money
Branding your comapny should be the first thing a company does. You have to convince potential customers to buy from you.
Internet Branding
Having been in the franchising business all my life and understanding how hard it is to build a brand, I have probably read every other popular book on the subject. Some are good and most are excellent, as each one helps give you ideas on setting the stage for your brand marketing objectives.
Corporate Internet Branding - Branding Your Business Online
Let me tell you a story about Pete and a pizza. After a long day of fighting uncooperative pipes and fixtures, Pete P.
Branding Mistakes - Brand Identity Guru
1. It "sells itself.
Top Eight Mistakes to Avoid When Naming Your Business
Naming a business is like laying the cornerstone of a building. Once it's in place, the entire foundation and structure is aligned to that original stone.
Could Ray Kroc have founded McDonalds in the Era of Sarbaines Oxley?
Over regulation of our free markets is stifling our growth in America and killing the next superstar Entrepreneurs. Let's discuss just how bad it really is.