The Stores Are Our Billboards

Below are snippets I resonate with from the book, My Sister is a Barista by John Simmons, which I bought at a Starbucks cafe last week in London. (If truth be told, I tend to prefer funky independent coffeehouses, but I desperately needed Internet access.) I just started it, but I like breezy, fast read, story format of the book. It appears to be part of a series of "Great Brand Stories". This one is on the familiar Starbucks tale. May be a tad difficult to find in the States [1, 2].

"Howard Schultz still declares that he is not a big believer in consumer research; the Japanese experience [expansion into Japanese] will have reinforced his belief that it is real customers buying in your stores who provide the only true picture."

"There is a deeply held belief that word of mouth is more authentic, honest and effective than advertising for Starbucks. That puts more responsibility on the brand, and particularly its people, to deliver."

"Start with your own people: they are the real link to consumers. Exceed the expectations of your people and you will automatically exceed those of your customers."

"The same pattern was followed [in opening in different countries]: hire a local public relations company, eschew advertising...."

"The stores are our billboards."

"Starbucks remains an entrepreneurial company, perhaps especially in international markets. It has learned to go with its intuition, and this has led to some developments that admittedly are opportunistic. Soon after the opening in Japan, Starbucks was approached by "some great people" (Orin Smith's words). The opportunity was to work in partnership with a local company to open Starbucks stores in the Philippines. The market research suggested that the Philippines was a relatively poor country, and the national income levels might not support much of a Starbucks presence. However, there was a good rapport with the potential [local] partners, so a deal was struck and Starbucks opened in the Philippines in 1997. Beyond all expectations, its presence has grown to more than 50 stores in six years...Its success in the Philippines represents clear proof that it is in fact a true brand. People are willing to pay a relatively high price for what they perceive as a treat, a just affordable luxury, because they are buying much more than simply a cup of coffee."

Comments

[mparaz]

We even have protests in Starbucks here in the Philippines.

See:
http://blackfridayprotest.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_blackfridayprotest_archive.html