The Starbucks Siren: One in Every Port

April 21, 2018

The Starbucks Siren: One in Every Port

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou said it best, and if any company had this mindset as it grew globally, it was Starbucks. A company that has long prided itself on its brand identity, focus on customer service, and promise of an inviting experience touts quite a list of achievement as an international brand. After opening its first store locally in Seattle, the company now has over 24,000 stores across more than 75 countries. So, how did they do it?

Former Starbucks President and CEO Howard Schultz said, “Success is not sustainable if it is defined by how big you become. Large numbers that once captivated me – 40,000 stores – are not what matter. The only number that matters is ‘one’. One cup. One customer. One partner. One experience at a time”. Their innate focus on experience has led them into foreign markets seamlessly, while keeping their brand traditions strong.

To start, the company keeps with the current times well in all aspects of their business from marketing to execution. Starbucks is active on Instagram and Twitter with over 16 million and 11 million followers, respectively. They are constantly evolving to bring their customer the best experience online/offline and limit their ecological footprint. In a world culture where conservation is a hot topic, Starbucks does well to include their ethically sourced coffee, recycled paper products, and creation of stores from recycled materials in their app, marketing ads, and on their website to highlight their dedication to innovation. You will also note menu changes depending on country to “localize” the store to the culture its living in. The customers will buy your product if it’s something they already enjoy.

Additionally, they have sunk immeasurable dollars into understanding their place in ecommerce to increase their customer satisfaction through their app and loyalty programs, online ordering, and ease of finding a local Starbucks store. The major advantage for their app is the built-in loyalty program. It gives users the opportunity to load digital cards with funds to cover their purchases and earns them points to different tier statuses. Specific to the US market, the online ordering has enabled coffee lovers to skip the line and pay with the app, only having to walk into the store to pick up a drink made in real time.

If you ever go to different Starbucks stores, they will have similar characteristics, but no two stores are the exact same. Depending on the location of the stores, the design is totally different and this is no mistake. From top to bottom, stores are designed with the local culture in mind. For example, here in Kentucky we have stores that allow us the opportunity to drive-thru and continue with our day. In the Asia-Pacific market, the stores are designed to support large groups and have moveable seating. In New York, the stores have a more industrial vibe, designed for people to file in and out quickly. In Japan, the design is more normalized to what you see in that particular culture sporting low roofs, neutral colors, and resembling more of the natural tea house.

If you ask me, coffee and tea drinking is something pretty internationally understood. But, understanding the nuances of cultural norms is what sets Starbucks apart from so many other companies. Profound usage of social media, targeted marketing across popular apps on phones, and good word of mouth reviews has allowed the Seattle based brand to spawn into a global giant.