Starbucks: Integrated Marketing Communication

Introduction

Starbucks Corporation, an American company founded in 1971 in Seattle, WA, is a premier roaster, marketer and retailer of specialty coffee around world. Starbucks has about 182,000 employees across 19,767 company operated & licensed stores in 62 countries.

Starbucks was established in 1971 by three local businessmen to sell high quality whole beans coffee. In 1981 when Howard Schultz visited the store, he plans to build a strong company and expand high quality coffee business with the name of Starbucks. Starbucks air is to provide high quality of coffee to its consumer and aim to achieve product innovation, retail expansion and provide service quality for long term.

Starbucks open its first coffee store in Seattle, Washington. In 1990 Starbucks expand its headquarters in Seattle and also build a new roasting plant. In 1990s Starbucks opens 60 retails shops in United Kingdom. At the end of 2000s Starbucks total branches was 3500.

Starbucks in India

TATA Starbucks Private Limited, formerly known as Tata Starbucks Limited, is a 50:50 joint venture company, owned by Tata Consumer Products and Starbucks Corporation, that owns and operates Starbucks outlets in India. The outlets are branded Starbucks ‘A Tata Alliance’. In January 2011, Starbucks Corporation and Tata Coffee announced plans to begin opening Starbucks locations in India.

Different in India

Apart from the usual products offered internationally, Starbucks in India has some Indian-style product offerings such as Tandoori Paneer Roll, Chocolate Rossomalai Mousse, Malai Chom Chom Tiramisu, Elaichi Mewa Croissant, Chicken Kathi Roll and Murg Tikka Panini to suit Indian customers. All espressos sold in Indian outlets are made from Indian roasted coffees supplied by Tata Coffee. Starbucks also sells Himalayan bottled mineral water. Free Wi-Fi is available at all Starbucks stores.

Tata Starbucks launched the Starbucks Delivers program in early 2019. The service offers home delivery from Starbucks outlets through a partnership with Swiggy. The service was first launched in Mumbai, with plans to roll it out to other cities.

As of July 2020, Starbucks operates 174 outlets in 10 cities of India. The latest store came up at Zirakpur Punjab which is also the first drive through store of India.

The role of IMC in Starbucks

The philosophy of marketing is changing and so are the instruments and approaches. It has been interactive; it has been powered by users, and has seen a massive change to social media. What’s now captured the marketers’ attention is Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC). It is a marketing technique that incorporates all of a company’s promotional mix, such as advertisement, social media promotion, sales promotion, direct marketing etc. to communicate and inform about a product or brand.

IMC is used by advertisers to provide an uninterrupted brand experience by incorporating contact across all open media platforms. As part of a effective integrated marketing plan, IMC integrates public relations, advertisement, internet , social media, and so on; as well as numerous other communication components into one single organisation, all transmitting the same message. It is a practical transversal mechanism to execute all kinds of vital tasks for the company such as marketing, operational, financial and production.

Starbucks adopted the integrated and multi-channel marketing strategies idea way in advance of other brands. Starbucks’ power base in IMC is twofold: strong branding and strong appreciation of the customers. Using famous platforms to encourage and connect has been on the cutting edge.

Things that makes Starbucks awesome is branding and creating meaningful content.

  • Consistent branding: Starbucks stores are recognisable in appearance and can be recognised from afar. Starbucks stores are present at nearly every airport which gets a strong footfall. Corporations are one of the large-scale target markets that Starbucks caters to. It has branded itself as a luxury coffee shop with good ambience, which also acts as a corporate meeting spot.
  • Website content: Starbucks provides its customers with Website content designed to meet their target audience. Customers can go online to check their benefits, locate local stores and be a part of their latest campaign. Videos are used for message delivery and storey telling.
  • Integrated Content: Starbucks communicates by email to its registered customers. These messages are well organised, visually focused and provide useful details about Starbucks products. It retains more emphasis on education and awareness than promotion.
  • Mobile Experience: One of the strongest tools in their marketing arsenal is the Starbucks app. Upon installing the app, one can use the phone to pay for items, reload funds to a bank, and locate shops. Starbucks leads the way in mobile experience, which makes total sense when considering their product.
  • Consumer Engagement: If any brand needs customer engagement lessons, all they have to do is go to Starbucks. Whether providing free coffee to random customers, or giving them presents at festivals, they’ve done everything. Starbucks recently gave their Venti (biggest size) cup coffees for Rs 100 to mark the opening of its 100th store in its relentless effort to engage customers.

The true strength of Starbucks’ effective marketing relations campaign is their specific content, incorporated seamlessly through the multiple platforms.

Role of the Ad agency in Starbucks

Starbucks works with three agencies primarily in India: JWT (for creative and digital), Edelman (PR), and Showtime (for event launches in Mumbai and Delhi). Apart from that, there’s a lot of work going on in house at Starbucks in Seattle (HQ). We have strong knowledge and expertise teams to work in global markets.

Starbucks’ goal in partnership with these ad agencies is to be highly trained professionals, have a wide range of experience and have a strong market perspective.

For Starbucks, Digital is a very relevant and essential tool, as it is a main pillar that we use to connect with our clients. We have tried to do things other than social media contact and Facebook and Twitter that are innovative and imaginative for the new media platforms. They also developed an app to launch our first Delhi sales outlet that customers could share with their friends and family, as well as share their views about Starbucks as a passion for brand and coffee.

Role of the consumer behaviour towards Starbucks

Members of the loyalty have earned a ‘star’ for every visit to a Starbucks location since. In April, Starbucks announced a shift from a visit-based model to a $-spent model, and is now awarding 2 stars for every dollar spent (125 stars per reward). But many Starbucks customers are still dissatisfied with the service ‘s latest setup — Maybe because the new model rewards people who spend more per transaction, instead of rewarding people who visit Starbucks more frequently.

People have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the brand, saying that this move back to Starbucks makes them extremely reluctant. According to Starbuck’s, the old version of the loyalty programme has led to a number of Starbucks clients doing ‘transaction splitting’ If more bonus points are won, each item in the transaction will need to be paid separately, which has contributed to slower transactions and dissatisfaction for other customers.

This latest loyalty programme, Starbucks said, simplifies the process and makes it easier for consumers to do so. If real then it makes sense not to have a ‘reward hack’ for the most loyal clients in order to optimise their rewards. But the distinction may be immaterial to most customers. Starbucks may have caught lightning in a bottle, or they may have done a better job of aligning the rewards with the desired behaviour and adapting them to the optimal effect, and changing the reward package to do so again.

Brands with ambitions similar to Starbucks could see consumer loyalty value improvements by delivering more customer-focused promotions, if they were willing to play the longer game. Consider heading towards rewarding at the time of sale for add-on purchases, ‘Double incentives if you buy a pastry with your coffee!

Role of Source, Message & Channel of Starbucks

The communication strategy of Starbucks is implemented by ads, ads, launch deals, media use, product promotion, social support, public relations, and expenses. These are the secret to getting closer to the customers. These are the basis for pulling customers to make a final decision on buying the product. The contact process model is ‘the mechanism of knowledge exchange and transfer to exchanging information and conveying. The model of the communication mechanism consists of encoded, distributed, decoded, and eventually received. There is background noise in the advancement of the communication process model that can undermine the message and likely discourage the objectives together.

The sender of the message, in this case Starbucks is looking through the feedback loop for a response from the target. The process of encoding involves translating an idea into a figurative image, using words, pictures and facts. Starbucks is a brand-oriented company. Hence this communication process is helpful. The next step of the model for the communication process is a transition. Using various avenues for Starbucks to convey the message would include social media, the internet, emails and mobile apps. Starbucks has substantial virtual communication. To reach the maximum number of targeted recipients and a minimum number of non-target receivers; companies must select the most effective avenue that best fulfils their purpose. The third and fourth step outlined in the communication process model is decoding and the receiver. The decoding process occurs when the receiver interprets the significance of the message symbols as encoded by the sender. The intended receiver is the person who is the communication ‘s target. One challenge for any message sender is how the receiver interprets the message.

Promotional Budget

Starbucks is strongly committed to a positive image in the community according to the Corporate Social Responsibility. Through cultural and environmental events Starbucks has transparent relationships with consumers and the media.

Their stores are friendly to the community, with a focus on recycling and waste reduction. They build goodwill among communities they operate in Strong Social Responsibility Initiatives undertaken

Starbucks spent 245.7 million US dollars on advertising in its fiscal year ending in September 2019. In the coffee chain, which spent nearly 15 million dollars more on promoting its products and services, there is a decline in global advertising investments compared to the previous year. On a global scale, the Starbucks brand was worth 32.42 billion U.S. dollars in 2018.

Starbucks Creative strategies

Starbucks embrace various types of strategy to build their branding in the market. Starbucks has numerous capabilities that likes market leadership, and its outlets, as customers mean their locations, which means that it is the place where customers can relax from work or home and manage their supply chain. According to Porter (1998) there are three types of basic strategies a company can use to establish itself like cost leadership, differentiation itself from the others and focus on the market. Cost leadership has the strategy of develop a low-cost product but it has a high quality and also reduces operational cost. Differentiation means a strategy which is unique and self-created strategy.

Starbucks’ first outside American store was joint venture with a local company Sazaby Inc. to start its business in Tokyo in 1996. The pace of international expansion significantly increased after Starbucks established the business. Starbucks expanded its business in the UK in 1998 with more than 60 busy town hall locations and opened stores in Taiwan, New Zealand, Malaysia and Taiwan the same year.

Starbucks opened their first store in China (Beijing), South Korea, Lebanon and Kuwait in 1999, and seven markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Australia and Bahrain in the next year. Due to the position of its coffee shops, Starbucks is using the approach which is real estate management approach. Starbucks prohibited smoking in order to try to keep the coffee taste safe in the shops, and asked staff to refresh from drying perfumes. Prepared foods were kept sealed, so that customers would smell coffee rather than other foods. Starbucks is a community-oriented business that launches new strategies in various regions of the USA, such as commuter mugs and T-shirts, in line with the culture of each city. (like peach shape coffee mugs for Atlanta State, Paul Revere picture for Boston State and the Statue of Liberty for New York city).

The Features Of Strategic Management Of Starbucks

Executive Summary

The aim of this paper is to discuss about the Strategic Management of Starbucks and to know about the internal and external factors of the company. It further discussed about the SWOT Analysis and recommended some important terms that can be implemented by the company. It is then concluded that that brand name is one of the major strengths, whereas, premium pricing act as a major weakness for the company.

Introduction

Strategy Management is a way of management that is followed in an organisation to reach towards a goal and objective. It also includes to analyse the internal environment, the competitive environment, evaluate strategies and many more. (Stewart, 2020) This paper will focus mainly on the internal and external factors, the PEST framework also about SWOT analysis of Starbucks. This will further elaborate on identifying the threats and opportunities of the organization.

Hence, this paper will discuss on the Strategy Management that is followed by Starbucks and also it will also suggest about some future modification that they can add on to the organisation.

Discussion

An overview of the Organisation- Starbucks is a global chain of roastery reserves and coffeehouse, the headquarter of Starbucks is in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks café is famous in almost every part of the world and it therefore unlocked its doors to Australia on 2000 and opened the first store in Sydney CBD.

External Analysis-

Posters 5 Forces: – (Geereddy, 2020)

  • Supplier Power: It is the control amount that a vendor of goods or services can apply on the buyers. It is connected by the capacity of vendors to boost their prices, reduce their quality, or restrict the amount of goods they will sell, but the Bargaining Power of Suppliers of Starbucks is low to medium. Since, Starbucks directly source cocoa from the farmers it removes the need of a mediator which support both Starbucks and farmer to be profitable in the trade. This helps Starbucks to bring down the bargaining power of the supplier.
  • Competitive Revelry: It analyses the number and power of your competitors. Where rivalry gets extreme then companies draws customers with price cuts and huge-impact marketing crusade. The force of competitive rivalry of Starbucks is medium to high. Since, competition for market participation is high and there exist a monopolistic competition in the industry. As Starbucks has the highest market share followed Dunkin and McCafé and the premium quality product which Starbucks provides have some advantage over the competitors.
  • Buyer Bargaining Power: It refers to the stress that customers can apply on the companies to make them provide better client service, better quality products and lower prices. Buyers Bargaining Power is one of the strengths that frames the competitive structure of a business. The Buyers Bargaining Power in case of Starbucks is medium to low. Though, single customers do not have enough influence but they are quality conscious and ready to pay premium price for quality products. Based on these factors the bargaining power of customers is low.
  • Threat of Substitution: It refers to the probability of the buyers finding an alternative way of finding a new substitute. The Threat of Substitution in case of Starbucks is medium to high. Some substitutes that provide threat to Starbucks are: pubs, restaurants and home-made products which add up to big threats to Starbuck.
  • Threat for New Entrance: The position of the marker gets affected by the capability of others to enter the market. The Threat for New Entrance in case of Starbucks is medium. As Starbucks have a good brand image and affective pricing strategies, it is difficult for a new brand to have a competitive advantage over Starbucks but still there is holds a threat with aggressive pricing.

PEST Framework

Political Factors: The primary political factor refers to suppling the raw materials. This has gathered a lot of focus from politicians over the countries. Starbucks also needs to follow the rules and regulations of the countries from which they purchase their raw materials. Some other factors to consider are: employment policy and tax laws.

Economic Factors: The continuous global economic crisis is the main factor that effected Starbucks economically. Because of the recession the customers are convinced to transfer to low-cost alternatives. It also has to deal with increase in labour and additional expenses. Some other factors are: domestic currency exchange rates, tax level, domestic economic situation in various markets.

Socio-Cultural Factors: As already mentioned, Starbucks might give up the quality to provide cheaper products. The other factors that lead to social factors are: consumer choice, level of education among the public in domestic market, change in values within the population, change in the way of living of the population, change in working arrangements.

Technological factors: Since, at the present-day internet plays a huge role, Starbucks started to provide free wireless internet in their joints, which attracts more customers. Starbucks also facilitated cashless payments like mobile and card payments. Some other technological factors are: agricultural growth, arrival of new and innovative technologies, development in biotechnology.

Internal Analysis

The first positive factor of Starbucks is, that among all the coffee retail brands it holds the top spot in coffee retail world. Since, it has a strong financial performing capacity due to which holds a strong place in the coffee making world.

The value of the company is more then 4 billion dollar which gives it a competitive edge over the competitors. Since, it one of the largest coffee houses in the globe, the intangible assets of Starbucks symbolise the brand name and superior quality with an affordable rate it is always remembered among the customers.

Other positive factor of Starbucks is that since, it is the biggest coffee house in the globe and so its large size and volume, it can provide flexible rates that is affordable by all level of consumers like the premium along with the middle-tire. This company is also known for pioneering human resource management in the industry and the skill associated with people makes the difference between success and failure. Starbucks also creates a positive environment and provide all sorts of benefits which helps both the employees and the customers to feel delightful when they ae around.

One of the negative factors of Starbucks is, that it does not have any diversification among the services that they are providing and strongly depends on coffee beans which bring down the profitability of the brand. This fluctuates the price of coffee beans and therefore it should modify and bring some variety in the product.

Due to the non-flexibility in the price range the working consumers prefer McDonald over Starbucks for coffee. Starbucks must revamp their product line-up to compete with their competitors like McDonald and Burger King which is rapidly growing due to quick grab and bite breakfasts and other meal options.

SWOT Analysis

[bookmark: _Toc59352463]Strength: The main strength of this organisation is the strong brand image that it carries and have a large global supply chain and it also made diversification through subsidiaries. The company carries loyal customers throughout the world which adds consistency to this coffee house. It also provides flexibility in the price range.

]Weakness: In this competitive market one of the main weakness that Starbucks carries is the high price point which makes it difficult for many customers to afford it. The products of this company can be easily copied which is the major drawback for the company and most of the products are very generic in nature.

Opportunities: There are many opportunities that this company can use for their advantage like expanding their business in developing markets which will help them to improve their long-term stability. There is also an opportunity of tie-ups and making alliances with different firms which will boost their overall growth in the market.

Threats: Like every other company Starbucks also faces some threats which limits them from growing and expanding their business. This threat involves local coffee sellers who sales their product at low cost and gives a tough competition to Starbucks and also there are many local coffee houses which is a major threat to Starbucks due to price advantage.

From the above discussion it can be understood that like any other company Starbucks also have some strength and weakness which includes political threat that brings obstacles for importing raw materials from other countries. Due to the global economic crisis situation Starbucks financial stability gets effected. One of the strengths is that it provides free wireless internet to the consumers which makes them more popular. The SWOT Analysis highlights that brand name is one of the major strengths, whereas, premium pricing act as a major weakness for the company.

Conclusion

From the above discussion it can be concluded that as any other company Starbucks have many strengths and also suffers from many weaknesses. The brand name is one of Starbucks biggest strength and the kind of services that they provide is remarkable that is the reason of Starbucks being one of the globally famous coffee houses. One of the major drawbacks is that the price rate is much higher that brings a threat to the company as the local vendors provides the same product within a cheaper price.

References

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Demand of Starbucks in the Terms of Coronavirus

A demand of Starbucks premium coffee has its own special characteristics that will determine the quantity of people that are willing and able to consume the related product and /or services of the company (StudyDriver.com, 2020). Through the years, products of the company had been influenced by various determinants of economic and market demands, including the price, the income, population and demographics, tastes, and price of related goods (Rittenberg, L. & Trgarthen, T., 2012).

A price determinant of demand will determine how much of the coffee and related products of the company a customers are willing to buy, hence, it is stated that, the increase in the price of Starbucks would be a decrease in quantity demanded, and a decrease in prices is an increased in to quantity demanded of related products (Grutzmacher, G., 2014). Over the last decade the price of the coffee products of the company has been quite volatile. The increase in prices is reportedly due to the increase in coffee bean which is the main raw ingredient in producing the coffee. In the late 2000s, the price of the coffee had been shot up globally just as customers were growing accustomed to the coffee variants of cappuccinos and lattes. In the early 2000s in Vietnam, the price of the coffee has been plummeted affecting the demand to decrease because of the flood that caused in the low production of coffee beans (StudyDriver.com, 2020). Moreover, recently ib the 4th quarter of 2020 the company also claimed the first increase of prices in 18 months for about 1% in all of their coffee products primarily because on the significant rise in non-coffee commodity costs and rising labor, and to improve the product margin of the company (Dawson, T., 2020).

According to the website of WordPress.com, Microeconomic Individual Assignment-Starbucks (2013), stated that Starbucks price elasticity of demand is relatively elastic through most years in existence because of its products are considered to be more luxurious goods. Presented in the graph above, the change in percentage for quantity demanded is greater than the percentage change in prices. It is shown that the elasticity demand of the company is greater than the P1 is presented as the original price of the coffee, when it decreases to P2, the demand of coffee will be greater than the original quantity Q1 to Q2 as depicted. It is considered that the brand loyalty is seen as the reason to affect the elasticity of demand. Starbucks has been raised their prices since late 2000s of about 7 times, and it only affects a minimal amount to customers’ product purchases or demanded (Grutzmacher, G., 2014).

The increase in demand of the Starbucks Corporation had further and greatly influence by the identified determinants of demand such as, income, population and demographics. Income plays a large role to the decisions of the customers to whether buy an expensive coffee or cheaper ones. As income rises, the consumption of people to many goods and power to buy choices on luxury goods is certain. Moreover, the population and demographics had determined the company to provide additional resources and invest for franchises for additional coffeehouses. The company’s prior target markets are focuses on students, individuals who are socially inclined and who are professionals, and are places that is usually in modern and locally urbanized. With this, the demand of the company has seen visible with the additional coffee houses worldwide. For the past 10 years beginning in 2019, Starbucks stores have increased annually compare to the recent years of corporate franchises. Over 14,000 new Starbucks stores both company operated and licensed stores opened globally that makes a store count growing to 70% since 2008. This is a significant image for the company through expansion in showing the increase of demand despite of financial crisis (Lock, S., 2020).

Product innovation and corporate strategy to adapt in modern technology had lead Starbucks in its operations of becoming more ease, more efficient and being high-productive and profitable within the industry. Further, it had so much affect to the customers and demand preferences with regard to the product and services quality, convenience and taste. During the year 2008, the company had took an economic slowdown because the customers had opted to patronize cheaper and equal preferred product quality in the industry. The Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds as both of the competitors of the company had took a significant increase to quantity demanded. In line with this, the company had forced to shut 900 coffee shops that are not already profitable and laid 6,700 employees during 2009. In order for the company to bring back its customer demands and operations in the industry, in June 2010 with the presence of Howard Schultz as CEO of Starbucks had presented and adapted the company in the presence of different social media platforms. Starbucks’s social media space includes in websites, Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare. Purposely, this was strategically implemented in order for the company to receive and be provided with feedback on customer’s experience and market the product in a large area of demands. The company had also executed an initiative, “My Starbucks Signature” in which the customers could create a personalised drinks. They had also implemented the ‘free Wi-Fi’, a ‘comfy chair group’ or ‘frappuccino’ lovers in order to extend opportunities with an increase in demand to students and the millennial. In the year 2011, the company had able to launch a mobile payment app specifically to those who are accessible for the services. Moreover, the online services has already seen and widely patronize by the market. Through years, the company had then brewed and developed 3 roasts types (blonde, medium, and dark). This new brewed coffee services, product innovation strategy of the company, and online services would able to meet the product preferences of the customers, increase the demand of the economic activity certainly during the recovery in 2010 up to the present.

Moreover, as the Covid-19 has still affecting global economic crisis, the coffee giant Starbucks has set to close 400 shops specifically in the U.S. and Canada, and a loss of more than $3 billion. The probable huge decrease in demand is materially due to the threat in the spread of virus, hence, everyone is recommended by the government to stay at home and observe maximum health standards. In response to the global threat, the company had adapt a new Covid-19 economy, Starbucks intends to provide services on the traditional sit and stay café with the new on-the-go customer experiences without hampering the public protocols. They will also introduce its new concept “Pickup” of mobile phone ordering to adapt the economic changes and continually provide corporate demands (TheNationalNews.com, 2020).

Starbucks: Business Model And Strategy

Introduction

The company that I have chosen to research is Starbucks. The company that I work for does not have information that is public so I was unable to use them. When thinking of what company, I should research, I chose to research Starbucks because that is usually my go-to coffee shop. While I frequent this coffee shop, there is not much that I actually know about the company behind the scene and get a better understanding of who the company is. Starbucks has come a long way since the very beginning and is continuing to grow both in the United States and Internationally.

History

Starbucks was founded by Jerry Baldwin, Gordon Bowker, and Zev Siegal in 1971 and started as just one store in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. The founders came up with the name from the novel Moby Dick written by Herman Melville. In 1983, Howard Shultz, CEO of the company, went to Italy and was inspired by their Italian coffee bard and the romance of the coffee experience. He then decided to bring those techniques back to the United States. Shultz then decided to leave the company for a few years to start his own coffeehouse. However, he returned in 1987 and bought Starbucks with other local investors.

Mission, Vision, and Goals

Starbuck’s mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time (Starbucks, n.d). As stated on their website, they wish to create a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome. Doing this in ways such as great season beverages, Christmas cups, and specials throughout the year. As well as acting with courage, challenging the status quo and finding new ways to grow the company and each other. Being Present, connecting with transparency, dignity, and respect. Delivering the very best in all that is done, and holding oneself accountable for results (Starbucks, n.d). Starbucks is very proud of its employees and holds high expectations for them. Taking care of them by offering great training, room to quickly advance within the company, as well as help with schooling. While they do demand the most out of their employees, they will back them with rewards and support. Starbucks desires to have that connection with each customer, their mission is not just about sales and coffee, but about the customers and the impact, they have on each person. This is all in the belief that if they have a positive impact on those that come in the shop they have a chance to become part of their everyday schedule.

Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse chain in the world and that somewhat has to do with the brand and products that they have to offer. The company has never stopped exploring options that will appeal to its customers and bring in more business. They have become a company that holds almost a status symbol within the market. They are looked at in the same way as Apple. They lead the field in success and everyone is trying to catch them. Coffee is not the only product that Starbucks has to offer. They also have a number of teas and a small menu that includes breakfast dishes and treats. Though the product does have a lot to do with the success of the company, there is also their branding strategy that definitely rests on several pillars apart from great production and marketing as well as a well-managed supply chain (A, Pratap, 2019). Starbucks is a mix of company-owned and franchised stores. This has proven successful for the company due to having a great focus on their quality in all areas ranging from sourcing to production, sales, and service. Not only are they focus on full storefront but are huge in partnering with colleges, malls, airports, and even stadiums to but in smaller stores with limited menus to bring their products to as many people as possible in all settings.

Since the start of it all, Starbucks has focused mainly on the quality of its products, and this has not changed over time. Starbucks has a higher price point but this is because of the quality of the products they are selling. Although their prices may be higher than some competitors, their customer base does not mind paying more because they know they are paying for the quality of the product they will be receiving. Starbucks Customers are the company’s core focus and their level of commitment is noticeable when walking into a Starbucks coffee shop. While customers mean a lot to the company because without them, the company would not be as successful, the employees are just as important. Starbucks makes sure that the employees are happy because happy employees will be willing to give their best while at work and the company is dedicated to providing an excellent work environment. With a focus on giving them a voice and the ability to be creative at home, they do things. All of these lead to happy employees that love to stay with the company for a longer term. There are a number of other influences that make Starbucks so successful. To simplify it, their customers and employees are what help make the company so successful. As we can see, by how many Starbucks are around, Schultz’s business model has proven successful for him and the company.

External Factors Analysis

Political

The main political factor Starbucks faces is sourcing raw materials. Politicians in the west and the source countries of these raw material has gained a lot of attention. Starbucks should follow the social and environmental norms (PESTEL analysis contributor, 2016). In all of these factors is outs Starbucks in the middle of watch tariffs in not only this country but others. They have to play the political market more than other companies in the industry because changes in other countries have a bigger impact on them being multinational companies.

Economic

A global economic decline is a major external economic influencer for Starbucks. Because of this global decline, Starbucks’ profitability may be lacking. Buyers will pursue cheaper alternatives to cut down costs. If the consumers quit buying coffee, Starbucks may look for other opportunities such as marketing sales and lowering prices to be more competitive in the market. Starbucks has also introduced Seattle’s best coffee that can be found in gas stations and fast food that is a lower quality of Starbucks coffee but is still a way to make the company more money off of more economic levels of customers.

Social

Some social impacts that Starbucks could face may be forfeiting the quality of its product to adapt to the economic challenges. A socio-economic advantage to giving up quality would be opening up their customer base to include buyers who are lower and middle-income status. Starbuck is also viewed as a status symbol by some people. When they walk into the room with coffee on the go people will judge them as being high status or even trendy if they chose this company over a cheaper one such as a local gas station.

Technological

Presenting Wi-Fi capabilities, consumers can now use the internet and work, which will promote sales of products and keep consumers in their stores longer. Enhancing the consumer experience will also add value to the brand. Starbucks takes advantage of the ever-changing technology and creates an app for their customers. This app can do a lot for its customers, it can show great new offers, display the menu, offer a loyalty program, even offer surveys for its customers to earn points to get to a fee item. It also is big in cutting down wait times for people that before could not afford to wait in line in the morning. They can put in an early order through the app and not have to wait in line once they arrive. Technology can really help the company reach the next level with customer service.

Environmental

Activists and international advocacy groups are concerned about Starbucks ‘ business practices. Consumers have also expressed issues with Starbucks ‘ environmental practices and the firm should consider this while maintaining consumer trust. (PESTLE Analysis of Starbucks, 2015). The biggest political factor is in regards to sourcing raw materials. Because there is a lot of attention from politicians in the West and from the source countries, the company wants to adhere to social and environmental standards (PESTEL analysis contributor, 2016). Starbuck has also tried to become more friendly for the environment with cups that are made of recycled material as well as straws that can easily break down and not pose a threat to wild animals.

Legal

Starbucks must be hardworking not to violate any laws or regulations in its home market or countries where they are buying raw materials. Caffeine and consumption-related policies and regulations by health authorities will be imperative for the firm to pay attention to. Being a company that is in multiple countries they also have watched that they follow laws and policies in every country they are in.

Internal Factors Analysis

Strengths

Quality, profitability, and ethicality: Starbucks has made itself known as a premium coffeehouse chain. The products they sell are premium quality, the company is also environmentally friendly, and pretty consistent between locations. Due to this, they are able to charge customers higher prices, which as seen, most people are willing to pay. This means large profits as well as being globally recognized as one of the best coffee shops chains Bush, 2016).

Efficiency and reinvestment strategy: many of the profits that the company makes will go right back into expanding the business. This is obvious due to the increase in the number of locations that Starbucks has. As we can see, the corporation has a well-planned growth strategy, which is working well for them (Bush, 2016). One of the ways they are looking to expand is getting in with Keurig to get their coffee into people’s homes easier.

Employee treatment: Starbucks is known for treating its hundreds of thousands of employees very well, and has previously been listed as one of Fortune’s Top 100 Places to Work For (Bush, 2016).

Weaknesses

High Price Point: While their high price point can be a strength, it can also be a weakness. Their high prices may discourage customers from coming in and purchasing their products. Starbucks has a number of good qualities but some of their potential customer bases may not be able to afford that kind of money on a cup of coffee (Bush, 2016). The addition of greater reward programs and deals on its app has helped with this problem.

Lacking in a lot of unique products: Starbucks has a variety of products they offer, but they do not necessarily have the most unique market. For example, there are other chain restaurants that offer the same if not very similar products with a different name and cheaper price (Bush, 2016).

Opportunities

Global Expansion: Starbucks does have a number of stores around the globe. However, at this time most of them are within the United States. Starbucks should consider branching out to other regions such as India, Africa, or Central Europe (Bush, 2016).

Adding new products: Starbucks, while this has already begun, could really profit from selling their own branded products in retail stores other than their own. For example, they could sell not only their coffee beans but also other merchandise at local grocery stores (Bush, 2016).

Threats

Competition: Dunkin Donuts and Mcdonald’s are very big global companies that directly compete with some of the products that Starbucks sells. While they do not offer the premium quality that Starbucks has to offer, they do sell similar products that are not quite premium quality but convenient and cheaper (Bush, 2016). There are also up-and-coming companies such as Biggby that are having impacts on Starbucks ‘ bottom line.

Value Chain

The business management concept of the value chain was introduced by Michael Porter in his book Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance in 1985. He stated that a value chain is a sequence of activities that intends to create and add value to a product at every step during the production process. Value-chain business activities are divided into two activities, primary and secondary. The main activities are related to the creation of goods and services, while the support actives help in enhancing the efficiency and work to achieve a competitive advantage amongst their peers. As an example, Starbucks began with one store in Seattle in 1971 and is now the most recognized brand in the world (Bajpai, 2019).

Intellectual Property

Intellectual property rights refer to the general term for the assignment of property rights through patents, copyrights, and trademarks. These property rights allow the holder to exercise a monopoly on the use of the item for a specified period (OECD Statistics Directorate, n.d.). Starbucks intends to own exclusive rights, including all intellectual property rights, to any work they create or have created from the idea or a similar idea of its own. Both Starbucks and other companies will need to pay careful attention to make sure they are not copying something that is already trademarked or patented by other companies. For example, a New York City Café had sued Starbucks over the Unicorn Drink Trademark because the café had filed a trademark application for “Unicorn Latte” in January of 2017. There was a settlement and the café agreed not to sue Starbucks. Starbucks does have a hotline and specific e-mail that they are constantly checking on any information on possible breaks in intellectual property.

Financial Health

Starbucks had reported earnings that outperformed its expectations which raised its outlook for the year. This is due to the sales within the United States and the sales growth in China was stronger than they had expected. The company has really done well with launching new products and marketing for those products, Starbucks has really proved its success both within the United States and internationally, especially in China.

Business Strategy

A differentiated culture is also one of the major strengths and a central pillar of Starbucks’ business model and strategy (Pratap, 2018). Starbucks has explained a few of its most important traits that outline its culture. Customers and customer service are at the core of their culture and it is apparent when you go into one of their stores. Some other critical traits that define Starbucks culture include inclusion, transparency, courage, dignity, respect, integrity, and accountability. It is not just about the customers, but the culture at Starbucks is meant to make its employees whom it calls partners feel included (Pratap, 2018). A strong culture and mutual standards keep the entire organization together and help create an atmosphere of trust. This, in turn, increases the efficiency of the organization and also gives it the strength to take on new challenges. It brings accountability and unity which is critical for companies that are competitive and taking on more of a challenge. A strong culture has some other great benefits too. Sometimes, it is the best tool to form a strong customer connection (Pratap, 2018). Customers are important but so are its employees, the employees are treated well and will therefore give their best and provide a good work environment. It is imperative that Starbucks continue to be innovative to keep up with competitors. To ensure differentiation, the company needs to continue to stand out with its specialty products, such as healthy options like salads and wraps, or dessert items that do not contain high fructose corn syrup.

Corporate Level Strategies

There are three concentration strategies which include, market penetration, market development, and product development. In market penetration, the company is trying to gain additional customers aside from the existing customers they already have. For example, using a celebrity presence in their marketing techniques or advertising specifically to a certain culture. Since Starbucks has an international presence, it is important to advertise to all cultures and parts of the world. Another strategy is market development. The best way for marketing development with Starbucks is selling their products other than just in Starbucks stores. Starbucks already sells their coffee beans in other grocery stores but they could extend that out to the other products and merchandise. This could help sales increase and will allow customers to purchase their products even if they do not have a Starbucks near them to visit. Lastly would be product development. This would mean for the company to continue to come up with new products whether this is new specialty drinks or even new food products to offer to the menu.

Starbucks: Addressing Challenges in Declining Retail Traffic

Introduction

Firms operating in today’s business contexts have to address various challenges and respond to emerging opportunities often in highly competitive markets. As a result, effective change management becomes a pertinent undertaking for the leadership in such firms, enabling them to navigate prevailing and developing market conditions. For Starbucks, the challenges faced range from heightened competition and decline in retail traffic related to changing consumer preferences among various other issues (Cheng, 2018). Focusing on the issue of decline in retail traffic, the present undertaking utilizes Kotter’s 8-step approach to undertaking change in demonstrating how Starbucks can address the challenge. Effective change management also calls for a clear diagnosis of the need for change, necessitating a background discussion on Starbucks and the retail traffic issue under consideration.

Company Overview

Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Seattle, WA, Starbucks is specializes in roasting, marketing, and retailing specialty coffee globally (Yahoo Finance, 2020). Its 31,000 stores sell coffee beverages, tea beverages, roasted whole bean coffee, ground coffee, single-serve beverages, ready-to-drink beverages, and iced tea, alongside food products such as pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Starbucks also licenses its trademarks through stores, groceries, and foodservice accounts. Employing 346,000, Starbucks is a leading brand in the global coffee chain industry. Moreover, the firm has established a solid reputation for the ambience environment in its stores, which Starbucks designs as gathering places in neighborhoods with inviting atmospheres for friends and family to meet and enjoy the firm’s first-rate beverages and services (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2020).

Diagnosis

Starbucks has excelled not only because of its exceptional beverage products and food items, but also because of the ambience and customer experience in its stores. In this case, Starbucks has employed the “Third Place” outlook, seeking to be an additional place besides home and work in people’s daily lives (Taylor, 2019). This model has helped Starbucks grow as a global business brand while also being community-centered, with the firm exploiting the consumer willingness to pay more for coffee for the customer experience and potential connection accompanying the purchase.

However, recent trends and developments are challenging the firm’s model and in the process necessitating rethinking. Starbucks is facing a decline in retail traffic into its stores driven by a number of factors. One of the drivers pertains to consumer shifts in which many people are spending more time at home amid work-from-home lifestyles and a rising number of retirees, with many of them brewing artisanal craft coffee in their homes (Cheng, 2018). Meanwhile, when outside homes, many consumers have increasingly on-the-go lifestyles, which also serve to reduce retail traffic as such consumers go for ready-to-drink beverages. At the same time, decline in mall traffic is an additional problem, whereby malls and similar shopping areas in which Starbucks has many stores are struggling to attract traffic (Cheng, 2018). Amid such trends over the recent years, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is further reshaping retail traffic, shifting commuting patterns and changing work schedules in ways that have led to a 42% decline in Starbucks same-store sales (Maze, 2020).

These observations indicate that Starbucks reliance on a “third place” outlook may not be effective amid decline in retail traffic, necessitating that Starbucks institute change to ensure that it continues selling to its clients even amid such decline. One of the changes that Starbucks could consider entails changing the most affected stores from the “third place” model to ones that specialize in selling packaged versions of Starbucks beverages and quick-service offerings. Selling packaged beverage products would allow consumers to brew Starbucks beverages at home with their own coffee makers (Maze, 2020). Such proposed change translates to transforming some stores from the focus on ambience and customer experience to store fronts for quick sale and even delivery to home addresses. As a result, the change will significantly affect store operations and employee roles, underscoring the need for an appropriate approach to implementing change.

Kotter’s 8-Step Approach

Kotter’s 8-step approach to implementing change seeks to ensure that organizations can manage the change process successfully, helping address some of the barriers and challenges to change that may be encountered. The first step entails creating urgency for the desired change, which helps employees understand the necessity of change (Gerhardt, 2019). The second step entails establishing a strong coalition to drive change in the organization and drive the process forward. In the third step, a vision for change is created, helping determine the future direction for the firm or department. The next step involves communicating this vision, which enables the employees to visualize what the firm is attempting to achieve. The fifth step pertains to removing obstacles such as structures or processes that may be getting in the way of change, in the process empowering the employees to complete the change process. The subsequent step then involves creating short-term goals or targets, which enables the organization and employees to attain quick wins that motivate the change process. In the seventh step, the organization needs to build on the change, necessitating persistence even after the attainment of the short-term wins. The last step entails anchoring the change in the organization’s culture, which calls for making the change more permanent and part of the organization’s practices and procedures (Gerhardt, 2019).

Step 1: Creating a Sense of Urgency

In this step, Starbucks’ leadership will focus on ensuring the employees across the organizational hierarchy see the need for the change, helping spark the much-needed initial motivation towards the desired direction (Gerhardt, 2019). At Starbucks, this will be through initiating honest and convincing conversations regarding developments in the marketplace, including shifting consumer habits and preferences, competition, and emerging business models, as well as their implications for the firm. Another key aspect of creating urgency revolves around communicating the need for immediate action in light of the aforementioned developments. Transparency and honest dialogue will be crucial in ensuring that the sense of urgency develops. Having many people within the firm speaking about such issues and the proposed change will ensure that urgency builds and reinforces itself.

Step 2: Building the Change Coalition

The next step will involve the establishment of an effective and powerful coalition that will help take the firm in the desired direction (Gerhardt, 2019). The significant implications of the change proposed at Starbucks for employee and store operations in light of the embedded “third place” culture calls for strong and visible change leadership. Effective change leaders at Starbucks will not only included figures in the formal hierarchy, but also influential people who draw their power from sources such as status, expertise, experience in the firm, and charisma among others. After identifying the change leaders and stakeholders, a change coalition will be established through team building processes and inspiring collective commitment towards the desired change. The change coalition will then reinforce urgency for change, spark and build momentum, inspire and motivate employees, and provide role models and mentorship. Moreover, the change coalition will be responsible for guiding, coordinating, and communicating change-related policies and activities.

Step 3: Creating a Strategic Vision for Change

In this step, the focus will be on clarifying an image of the future in terms of its contrast from the past, as well as how to make the desired future a reality through aspects such as strategies and initiatives (Gerhardt, 2019). At Starbucks, this step will involve establishing an overall vision that leaders and employees will find easy to grasp and recall. The vision will revolve around extending the existing customer-centric focus at the firm in new ways through quick-service and packaged product distribution. Such a vision will be compelling because it does not depart from Starbucks’ traditional attachment of value to customer service, instead tweaking it to allow for a new approach to rendering services and selling products. A summary statement of the vision will then capture then be established, capturing what the guiding coalition views as the desired organizational future. Moreover, the vision statement will be one that members of the coalition can describe briefly, compellingly, and effectively. Another key aspect in this step will involve establishing initiatives, strategies, and actions underlying the vision, pertaining to the two areas of quick-service and packaged product approach.

Step 4: Communicating the Vision

The vision will need to be communicated clearly to the employees to ensure that they can fulfill the desired change (Gerhardt, 2019). Given that the vision message will have to compete with other daily communication in the organization, it will need to be effective and powerful. At Starbucks, this will be done through both formal and informal approaches to communication, with the formal outlook including official meetings, memos, and standards of operations messaging among other aspects. Informal communication will be through other platforms such as the company grapevine, social media pages, and team building activities. Moreover, the vision will be communicated through the guiding coalition demonstrating and role modeling the change. Further, the vision will be communicated frequently, and will be visible across various operational aspects to ensure that all concerned stakeholders encounter and engage with it. The process of communication also calls for engaging openly and honestly with the employees regarding the vision.

Step 5: Removing Barriers/Obstacles

In this step, the leadership will focus on enabling action and fostering buy-in through addressing any bottlenecks that may prevent, slow down, or complicate change. This step will involve examining the organization for structures, job descriptions, performance systems, and compensation systems that may be in the way of change. Such structures and processes will then be aligned with the change vision, involving instituting new measures and getting rid of others. Another pertinent consideration will involve identifying people who may be resisting change and addressing their concerns. Key approaches to ensure barriers are addressed will be through monitoring, taking quick action, and recognizing and rewarding those participating in advancing change and overcoming barriers. This step will be especially crucial owing to the permeation of the traditional “third place” model at Starbucks, given that reformulation will involve changing stores from offering ambience and exceptional service to a focus on quick selling, packaging beverage products, and even undertaking deliveries.

Step 6: Generating Short-term Wins

This step will involve creating short-term targets and celebrating the attainment of such targets with the aim of energizing employees to persist in the change process (Gerhardt, 2019). In this case, achievements such as customer satisfaction ratings, number of orders completed, and improvements in store sales/financial performance will be used as some of the short-term targeted wins, demonstrating quick turnarounds especially after the preceding period of lackluster performance. The short-term wins will be recognized, communicated, and rewarded to inspire continued commitment to the change process.

Step 7: Building on the Change

This step will involve pressing harder and accelerating the change after the initial wins to build and sustain the momentum. In this step, the leadership will focus on evaluating the achievements, misses, and lessons after every win, using such insights to inform continued change. The leadership will continue setting and evaluating goals and initiatives in line with the vision as the change unfolds, focusing on continuous improvement. Moreover, this step will involve ensuring the change process and its ideas remain fresh through recruiting new change agents and leaders to revitalize the change coalition. The accompanying credibility accompanying the change process will then help maintain the momentum and build on the initial wins.

Step 8: Anchoring the Change within the Organization

In this step, the focus of the organization will be in making the change become part of the organization’s processes and practices (Gerhardt, 2019). One of the approaches in anchoring the change at Starbucks will be through talking about progress and telling success stories surrounding the change. In this case, change will be anchored through demonstrating to all the relevant internal stakeholders how the new approaches have contributed to organizational success, reversal in fortunes, or overcoming the earlier mentioned challenges surrounding decline in retail traffic (Cheng, 2018). Another key approach will be in terms of aligning human resource management with the change in aspects such as hiring, orientation, and training and development. At Starbucks, such actions will be geared towards placing the new retail approach side-to-side with capabilities in the “third place” approach, ensuring that the organization becomes adaptable and responsive to prevailing market conditions or changing trends.

Conclusion

Recent developments surrounding decline in retail traffic caused by consumers spending more time at home, consumers making artisanal craft beverages at home, reduced mall traffic, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic have necessitated change at Starbucks. The “third place” outlook requires rethinking in the most affected malls, necessitating a move towards quick service offerings and selling packaged versions of Starbucks beverages. The proposed change will be accompanied by significant transformations affecting store and employee operations, informing the need for an effective change model. Through Kotter’s 8-step approach, Starbuck’s leadership will implement the proposed change in a way that addresses the most pertinent change considerations. The model will allow for the creation of change urgency, establishment of a guiding coalition, creation and communication of the change vision, removal of obstacles and challenges to the change process, creation and celebration of quick wins, and building on the change momentum to ensure change permeates in the desired fashion. Ultimately, the change plan will help Starbucks navigate through the present retail traffic decline and become adaptable going into the future.

References

  1. Cheng, A. (January 26, 2018). There are bigger challenges facing Starbucks. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2018/01/26/there-are-the-bigger-challenges-facing-starbucks/#41e0243d14ae
  2. Gerhardt, P. (2019). Change: Leader’s guide to change management. Lulu Press.
  3. Maze, J. (June 20, 2020). Starbucks, Dunkin’ and McDonald’s have a common problem: Fewer commuters. Restaurant Business. Retrieved from https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/financing/starbucks-dunkin-mcdonalds-have-common-problem-fewer-commuters
  4. Starbucks Coffee Company. (2020). Starbucks company profile. Retrieved from https://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/starbucks-company-profile
  5. Taylor, K. (March 20, 2019). Starbucks is reimagining the core belief that turned the chain into an $88 billion juggernaut. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-reimagine-third-place-2019-3?IR=T
  6. Yahoo Finance. (2020). Starbucks Corporation (SBUX). Retrieved from https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/SBUX/profile?p=SBUX

Starbucks: Incorporating Technology in the Business

Executive Summary

Founded in 1971, Starbucks has grown exponentially and currently operates in 41 countries. Starbucks main success comes from its successful strategies like creating human connections and providing customers with a quality experience. The integration of technologies such as Mobile Order & Pay and Currency Program has improved customer relationships. Starbucks interacts with more than 50 million people on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram. Starbucks is a brand with a high level of customer experience. Starbucks sells its high-quality products and services at a premium price. Starbucks is developing innovative strategies such as incorporating technology to endure sustainability. Starbucks launches new trends in business, including latest technology like A.I and creating new partners for continued growth in marketing.

How Starbucks Engage Its Consumers?

Starbucks is integrating digital marketing, social media, and the latest technology to improve customer relationship management. Mobile Order & Pay is a major breakthrough that allows customers to order food and drinks (for pickup) before visiting a store. long lines during peak hours can discourage customers from visiting its stores. Starbucks launched a currency program where customers receive digital ‘stars’ every time they purchase Starbucks products using a mobile application. Starbucks began to influence this virtual currency to create value through outside participation. Starbucks announced a strategic partnership with Spotify, The New York Times, and Lift. Under these agreements, customers who shop at these three companies will be offered ‘Stars’ that can be redeemed at Starbucks locations. Open innovation forums like MyStarbucksIdea.com allow customer to interact with Starbucks and ultimately create engaging customers. By involving customers in modifying products and storing experiences, the company has successfully connected the brainpower of millions of customers.

How Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategies Helped Companies Achieve A Competitive Advantage?

Starbucks is very effective in engaging with customers through digital marketing and social media strategies to improve customer relationship management. It has a huge social media presence, about 50 million people on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram. Starbucks also interact with customers through contests, promotions and paid ads. After creating a commercial space that gives use edge over the competition, use social media to get your message out to the public. The social media accounts at websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, can present business and message to potential users, peers, and employees. Social media is also an effective way to promote loyalty and sales incentives to customer. Offer discounts and encourage customers to engage with your business on social media websites. Regular interaction with customers will help them interact with your company and encourage deeper feelings of loyalty. It is easy for a customer to complain to company through a social media website. When a customer visits business in this way, respond quickly and personally to resolve the issue. A quick fix not only makes a successful loyal customer, but it also serves as evidence of the successful customer service company have for other people.

The Methods Used by Starbucks To Increase Brand Recognition in Order to Improving Its Customer Relationship Management

Brand recognition is a serious aspect in business growth where consumers pay high prices for strong brands. Consumers are satisfied when they eat a brand that appeals strong loyalty. Starbucks is a brand with a high level of customer experience. The main difference of Starbucks brand from other coffee brands on the market is the high quality of the products and the excellent customer experience. Starbucks has designed its stores on the theme of Italian bars. Starbucks offers its users a home experience. Starbucks customers are very loyal to the Starbucks brand. Starbucks focuses on managing customer relationships by integrating communication with customers. The research report will analyze the marketing trends of the coffee retail industry comparing Starbucks to McDonald’s. Starbucks has a lot of possibilities in Europe because Europeans are coffee lovers. Management has focused on expanding its reach in Europe by opening a network of coffee shops. Starbucks’ main target is young consumers. The company also strives to attract older customers by offering different products and a beautiful environment. Cultural values and people’s attitudes towards coffee provide an opportunity for Starbucks to deepen its presence in the European market.

By Successfully Incorporating Key Success Factors Into Operations, Did Starbucks Has Generated Higher Sales?

Yes, by successfully incorporating these key success factors like digital technology and social media marketing into its operations, Starbucks has increased its brand profile and generated high sales. The company announced strong growth in the Starbucks loyalty program and mobile transactions in the second financial quarter of 2018. Coffee chain attracted 1.6 million new US members to its program Starbucks rewards. Additionally, Starbucks found that Starbucks Rewards members were buying more: during the quarter, their spending increased by 39 percent in the US Company-managed sales. Beyond its loyalty program, Starbucks stated that users are taking advantage of counter-avoidance opportunities: Mobile Order & Pay present 12 percent increase of the company’s transactions in US. Overall, Starbucks also posted comparable store sales in the US and abroad. According to analysts, Starbucks comparable global store sales saw increase of 2 to 1.9 percent. Sales of compost stores in the United States increased 2 percent, while sales of composite stores in China increased 4 percent. In terms of finances, Starbucks reported better-than-expected sales: the coffee chain’s revenue was estimated at $ 100 million, $ 6 billion, and analyst-estimated revenue at $ 0.53 per share.

Suggestions for The Developing Innovative Strategies for Keeping the Sustainable Competency of Starbucks

Getting success in international growth and expansion strategy, Starbucks needs a strong innovation mindset and the ability to customize its product offering and store location locally. The brand has made rapid progress in implementing an innovation strategy across the organization by investing in new technology, redesigning store layouts, and investing in new concept stores. In addition to improving the customer experience, which has always been the company’s primary focus area, future innovation focus areas should revolve around product offerings. The company is a successful global seller with significant experience entering and establishing new markets. But as it develops and grows, it needs to be constantly reassessed and ears to the ground to understand customer preferences. Innovation and functionality will be the foundation for Starbucks to succeed internationally and in existing markets. Last but not least, Starbucks need to constantly develop and improve the consumer experience of drinking coffee in their stores. This is important because in today’s interconnected world, consumers are being educated much faster, constantly raising their level of expectations for a basic hygienic customer experience. So, an amazing branding experience today can become a regular experience tomorrow. Starbucks needs to stay on top of this curve to remain competitive and different in the eyes of the customer.

The Latest and Effective Emerging Trends of Starbucks Business

While offering a premium list experience, the company expects to open around 500 new reserve stores targeting upper-middle-income individuals at low cost. Through its new portfolio of stores, the company hopes to solve competition and ubiquity problems by delivering high-quality coffee to consumers. Starbucks Nitro Cold Brew will be launched in 500 stores in late December. To attract more customers to stores Starbucks is offering new and innovative food and beverage options. Demand for this specialty has grown significantly as a result of recent corporate scandals. CPG contains primarily packaged coffee and K cups. Starbucks is the leader in K-Cups, although the industry has slowed considerably from its peak. Through partnerships with companies such as Pepsi in Latin America, Tingi in China and Unsure-Bush, Starbucks is working to expand its ready-to-drink beverage segment, which is expected to grow 10% in the next five years. The company’s latest venture, Digital Engagement, Mobile Go and Pay accounts for 20% of all mobile transactions. The one-year venture is truly Starbucks’ way to promote a seamless digital experience. Additionally, the company recently changed the loyalty program to frequency-based amounts to reduce order splitting and the long lines associated with it. The company is working to take full advantage of the popularity of the food and coffee menu, to establish partnerships and to become one of the main growth drivers of the future.

Conclusion

It concluded that incorporating technology into the business is been very effective for the Starbucks business. Customers can save their favorite orders and favorite store location through Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay. Starbucks has effectively used these social media platforms to enhance its capabilities and grow rapidly. Starbucks has designed its stores on the theme of Italian bars. Starbucks offers its users a home experience. Starbucks embraces innovative strategies and emerging trends such as incorporating technology to sustain sustainability.

Implication of Brexit on Starbucks

Introduction

In this essay I will be discussing the implications and uncertainty of Brexit on Starbucks. Analysing two Brexit scenarios, I will investigate how Brexit will impact Starbucks in regard to the important factors: Workforce, Labour Migration, Market Access and Trade.

Brexit is an abbreviation of Britain exiting the EU Membership, “an economic and political union with 28 countries which allows free movement of goods, capital, services and people between member states” [GOV.UK. 2019]. Being a part of the European Union has its privileges and obligations. For example, frictionless trading within EU, however payment must be paid to the EU budget, which is gathered from tax payers. In 2016 the UK Government’s net contribution to the EU was £9 billion, with a rebate of £5 billion [ONS. 2017].

Despite this, the impact of the referendum and the subsequent political turmoil surrounding the exit arrangements has had consequences on the economy. PwC’s study calculated “that GDP at constant prices would be 2¼ percent permanently lower as a consequence of a Brexit” [IW Report, 2016]. If GDP continues to decrease and consumer spending is at a halt, the Bank of England may resort to lending, given the liquidity shortage. The result of the referendum was a majority vote in favour of the United Kingdom withdrawing from the European Union [BBC, 2016]. At the time of writing this essay, the UK has not formally withdrawn from the European Union.

Brexit Risks and Starbucks

Starbucks is an American founded coffee company. Starbucks has become one of the largest food chain in the world [Forbes, 2018]. Having over 30,000 locations worldwide [Loxel Geomatics, 2019], it is a multi-national corporation (MNC) which has many interested and involved parties in its global production network. With over 2500 stores in Europe, UK with 982 stores [Statista, 2018] and a total revenue of £372m [QSR. 2018] shows the importance of trading within borders for MNCs, e.g. easy market access throughout Europe and UK.

Brexit poses a number of issues for Starbucks, in terms of its financial arrangements, supply chain, but also in terms of its retail operations in the UK.

MNCs are dependent on complex supply chain arrangements. The first stage includes farming. Starbucks sources Arabica coffee from three key regions outside of the EU: Latin America, Africa and Asia-Pacific [Starbucks, 2019]. Imports from outside the EU that are not covered under the ‘equivalence agreements’ must apply for approval from Defra and regulate with other compulsory processes and paperwork, including the ‘Trade Tariff’. Starbucks’ global production networks benefits from the single market and Brexit uncertainty is putting MNCs under pressure as they do not know what to prepare for.

MNCs naturally have many stakeholders. I will identify key stakeholders (e.g. employees, stock/shareholders, customers and suppliers) and discuss the impact they have on Starbucks [Porter, M. 1996], heightening the affects proposed by Brexit uncertainty. Farmers depend on Starbucks’ supply demand for wages. Slow demand or decreased price negotiations is a risk for Starbucks as suppliers can protest and boycott Starbucks for another company. Shareholders invest money on MNCs by purchasing a share of their company. Shareholders hold a lot of power and will boycott Starbucks if they do not receive good dividends, leading to stagnation of the company.

Employees are interested in stable employment, receive fair pay and work in safe conditions. With the current economic situation, Starbucks cannot predict to what extent they can hire as MNCs have to cut costs through redundancy in response to lower sales revenue. This will lead to public relation issues because UK unemployment rate will be burdened upon MNCs.

Lastly, customers want good value for money, including fair trade, social corporate responsibility and quality of the final product. Brexit uncertainty will encourage consumers to look for a cheaper alternative because of lower availability of surplus capital, proposing a threat to Starbucks as their market status and power could reduce.

Different types of scenarios will determine the level of pitfalls/challenges faced by MNCs. I will discuss further into what the outcome will look like for Starbucks with two types of scenarios.

Types of Brexit and the future consequences imposed by the scenarios

Hard Brexit

A possible option or default option in an absence of consensus is the ‘Hard Brexit’ otherwise known as ‘No-deal Brexit’. This “could involve the UK refusing to compromise on issues like the free movement of people even if meant leaving the single market” [BBC, 2019]. Having cut all ties with the EU Membership would enable Britain to make agreements and negotiate with anyone (Europe and other nations).

Concepts such as the Neoliberal and Protectionist Project fall under this category. Strongly influencing the U.S and Britain, Neoliberalism ideology and policy is characterised by the value of free market competition. This type of Brexit is supported by politicians such as, Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and John Baron. The ideology focuses on sustained economic growth which means to have human progress, free market to achieve optimum efficiency, minimal state intervention in economic and social aspects and commitment to the freedom of trade and capital.

Currently, “as a member of the Customs Union, the UK is not allowed to negotiate other bilateral trade deals – which is why Liam Fox has argued that it needs to leave” [Thornton, D. 2016]. Following regulations of the Customs Union could be holding back Britain from gaining trade arrangements from other nations. Leaving the single market would also result in a protectionist Brexit. As George Osbourne argues, “leaving the EU is the biggest act of protectionism” [Stone, J. 2017]. With the government wanting to impose immigration controls between the UK and European Union, it demonstrates the act of protectionism of Britain’s domestic industries from foreign investments/competition allowing the economy to grow by increasing local jobs and increase the country’s wealth leading to a better balance of trade. This creates tension between political parties as the ‘Hard Brexit’ could be two very different possibilities.

While the idea of free market trade opens up opportunities to trade with other nations, without the single market, stricter tariff and barriers is to be put in action, especially for agriculture. This makes the ability to trade in large market areas difficult. For Starbucks, supplies will be more expensive to import due to the policies, set out by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) [BBC, 2019]. UK will fall under the WTOs principles of the trading system; long and complex agreements covering a wide range of activities.

One of the many regulations known as MFN outlines countries must trade without discrimination, designed to secure fair conditions of trade. This implies tariffs on agricultural commodities will be high, making market access across borders more difficult for MNCs. For example, commodities such as, “dairy products ‘may become luxuries’ after UK leaves EU” because Britain depends on dairy-surplus countries in the EU for milk (i.e. Germany, Belgium, and Denmark etc.) [O’Carroll, L. 2018].

In regard to Starbucks’ retail operations, day to day activities in all subsidiaries in the UK are likely to face challenges. Shortage on a key ingredient (e.g. milk) will lead to a limited quantity of coffee with milk and reduction of their daily capital. Financial rearrangements between partners may result as a response to Brexit’s uncertainty making stakeholders unhappy. For example, EU milk suppliers receiving a lower supply demand in addition to higher regulatory trading tariffs.

MNC’s (e.g. Starbucks), being in an oligopolistic economy are able to exercise their power over smaller businesses by coalition building. This allowed trading and market access advantageous to a handful of corporations as they can benefit from trading aspects such as, economies of scale, favouritism etc. but with the ‘Hard Brexit’ scenario MNCs cannot exploit the single market rules because of the stricter WTO legislations.

Moreover, transportation across the EU borders will be restrictive causing Starbucks to invest more time (e.g. bureaucracy and training) and money to adjust to post-Brexit border tariffs. Receiving roasted coffee from Amsterdam, the retail operation will face a negative impact if there are delays in stock. With new and different processes, by the time the coffee has reached each EU subsidiaries, the UK will see a rise in coffee inflation. For the past couple of years, the cost of coffee has risen and the Brexit poses a further inflation, a risk for Starbucks and its consumers [Consumer Price Index. 2000]. “Household incomes are around £1,500 a year lower today than forecasts made before the referendum vote” [Hughes, K. 2019]. Amid Brexit caution, consumer spending has slowed down as people are looking for ways to save with lower disposable income. Coffee is an easy way to save costs implying a big risk of loss.

This demonstrates Brexit will affect Starbucks’ global production networks resulting growth rate to decelerate.

Also, dissatisfaction of customers could lead to a decrease in sales revenue as customers have the power to boycott under whelming brands [Porter, M. 2009]. Movement of supply will impact all MNCs as it is not uncommon to get resources from EU countries which may not be strongly available in the UK. For example, tomatoes from Spain are likely to increase by 10% if a ‘no-deal’ Brexit takes place, according to BBC News [Browning. 2019]. Suppliers cannot keep absorbing the prices as they “have to trade in a different way as tariffs will be applied, new inspections and this means we add new processes to current situations”. Financial arrangements must be reconsidered by MNCs as they cannot benefit from the single market negotiations in a ‘Hard Brexit’ scenario.

Another issue from stricter rules in travelling across borders may outcome in fewer people driving on motorways, this consequently will impact Starbucks in petrol/service stations [Motorway Services Online. 2019] as it is a popular phenomenon to drink coffee during a break when on a long journey to reduce tiredness. Franchises losing customers implies a decline in Starbucks’ performance.

Furthermore, being a franchise means the legal framework could be disrupted if the ‘Hard Brexit’ was to take place. Leaning towards a protectionist project, Starbucks’ could mirror developing countries [Abell. 2010], seeking to regulate entry into their domestic market that escape the restraints placed upon direct foreign investment. This law is contrary to free trade as new legislation could hinder the operation of Starbucks’ stores, encouraging MNCs to look for loopholes for cheaper trades and agreements. Searching for loopholes could affect the workforce, specifically, labour migrants.

Labour migration policies will be adjusted on a ‘Hard Brexit’ basis. Protectionist policies on immigrants moving to the UK for work purposes will be implemented, which will impact many large companies. New policies suggest labour migrants will be allowed in the UK if they are skilled labourers, earning £30,000 [BBC, 2018]. This is highly defective for Starbucks as baristas and general employees do not obtain such skills nor do they earn so much. Cheap legal labour can no longer be an option for MNCs, leading to redundancy or lower wages for UK workers. The limitation of immigration could lead to companies engaging more in illegal activities, for example, hiring undocumented workers or money laundering [GOV.UK. 2019].

British politicians have been letting Russia hide its dirty money for a long time, according to Bullogh. Over the past decade it has been identified, Russia has seven times more money flowed in indirectly than directly [Bullogh. 2018] This enabled flows of liquid capital “pour in and out of the City of London every day, from every corner of the globe”. The ordure churned out by Russian crooks and kleptocrats is thus, thanks to the skilled attentions of the tax havens’ best brains, indistinguishable from ordinary investment”. Many could question the movement of Starbucks’ headquarters movement from Amsterdam to London relating this concern as a key city for dirty money is London [The Economist. 2018] [Jenkins. 2018].

MNCs have the power to hide money laundering due to their ties with politicians and the facade of a legitimate global business strategy, with the help of easy access in EU (refer back to Russia example). However, this will be monitored more closely as public concerns have raised from cautious lending from the bank [Binham. 2018] as well as stricter rules directed by the WTO. Though WTO proposes a free market trade, the documented and undocumented ties between EU will receive a hit thus disabling MNCs to engage in money laundering.

Though MNCs earn a larger amount of profit in comparison to SMEs they are known to search for loopholes to increase profit, moral or not. As well as money laundering another example of MNCs exercising their power as capitalists is via tax payment. Many MNCs like Starbucks are involved in tax avoidance/evasion.

According to Financial Times, “Starbucks European unit paid 2.8% UK tax”. “The coffee chain, which has in the past faced vocal criticism of its tax affairs in Britain, has revealed that its largest European operation paid $5.9m of tax in the UK on profits of $213m”. Due to the complicated structure and payments between subsidiaries it makes it difficult to assess whether MNCs pay the sufficient amount of tax in accordance to their earnings. However, Marxists would argue the rule creator had purposely left a hole (politicians) to advantage the ruling class and maintain their capitalist position. Supported by Gowland she argues public reporting for all companies is required so it is clear if they are paying their dues. Britain should not wait after Brexit for stricter legislation implementation allowing MNCs to enjoy avoiding tax payment.

Starbucks’ have already received backlash from the public but have not taken any serious action to amend this issue and a ‘Hard Brexit’ could mean paying the right amount of tax. In conjunction to other Brexit risks, this will strongly affect Starbucks’ revenue as well as public image. Consumers will have deeper rooted reason to boycott Starbucks aside from cutting expenditure on non-necessary goods/service as a response to possible inflation.

This will reduce the ability of MNCs to ‘play the game’ and use the single market in their favour. WTO outlines fairer distribution and equality in terms of trading which will reflect on Starbucks’ profit, whom as capitalists have greater power and create an ideology of how their growth is based on meritocracy.

My concluding comment on this scenario would be, the ‘Hard Brexit’ will have more negative impacts than positive ones to Starbucks. This is because the WTO regulation and different trade legislation indicates that capitalists will be challenged on exercising their MNC power, making them compete on a fairer standard. This could ultimately lead to a decrease in sales revenue and profit, resulting in weak market power, MNC and politician coalition building and business strategy.

I will now discuss how a ‘Soft Brexit’ could impact Starbucks’. Though it is a more favoured option for many MNCs it still impacts Starbucks because of newer and different ways of operating.

Soft Brexit

The second possible option is the ‘Soft Brexit’. Jacob Rees-Mogg states on his Brexit Lecture, quoting Hyundai’s 2002 advert describes “gloomy” or widely known otherwise as ‘Soft Brexit’ is “to stick like glue” to the EU [BBC, 2019]. Contrasting to the ‘Hard Brexit’, ‘Soft Brexit’ is not to have full withdrawal from the EU Membership but to arrange a new trade/custom agreement to avoid Most Favoured Nation tariffs, allowing the UK to still freely move goods, services and people within the single market. UK will want to keep a close relationship in most aspects soft including the laws such as GDPR 2018.

Concepts such as the Status Quo and Green new Deal Project fall under this category. Status Quo Brexit would mirror the Canada Plus project- can trade goods with the EU with minimal tariffs but confronts more regulatory barriers to trade. Canada is not subject to EU law or institutions and does not pay the EU any money as a part of the trade agreement and are free to do trade deals with any other country [Robertson, S. 2018].

Opting for a Canada-style deal between the UK and the EU would be a step backwards as the UK will not benefit from the single market and customs union as it is now. “Britain’s service industry… accounts for almost 80% of the economy” [Cadman, E. 2016]. Canada plus trade arrangements mainly deal with goods, which will be a pitfall for Starbucks as their distribution and delivery system is a service, a part of their global production network. The absence of smooth trading leads to an increase of new red tape, costs and delays.

For example, if the supply of coffee bean prices were to stay the same throughout the supply chain, there will still be extra costs to the whole process because of the extra customs check at borders between Switzerland, Netherlands and UK. Starbucks buys coffee beans for the UK through a Lausanne, Switzerland-based firm, Starbucks Coffee Trading Co. Before the beans reach the UK they are roasted at a subsidiary which is based in Amsterdam.

However, compared to a ‘no deal’ Brexit this a better option because it gives more certainty, which MNCs prefer. Moreover, CETA thus far has been running positively according to most companies, therefore statistics and sentiments show Canada style Brexit maybe more good than harm [Government of Canada. 2019]. On the contrary, it could be said by the political left party that ‘Soft Brexit’ is a façade to maintain power in capitalism with putting up a face of fair competition (free market) but politicians will still hold ties allowing MNCs to engage in money-making activities such as, money laundering.

Moving onto the Green New Deal, it’s an environmental option which proposes transforming the UK into a green economy with high state intervention on infrastructures, decarbonisation etc. However, capital will be raised from tax payers. Presented by Thomas Piketty this “includes huge levies on multinationals, millionaires and carbon emissions to generate funds to tackle the most urgent issues of the day, including poverty, migration, climate change and the EU’s so-called democratic deficit” [Rankin, J. 2018].

Starbucks clearly being a MNC, it indicates they must contribute towards to turning the economy green via tax payment. Ironically, as a global brand, Starbucks pays a small amount of tax in correlation to their sales [Marriage, M. 2018]. Having been successful in avoiding tax, the GND suggests Starbucks may not continue benefitting from tax avoidance, as this Brexit will pressure MNCs to contribute in making the environment better. This option could mean lesser profit retention because the EU is slowly trying to make MNCs like Starbucks and Apple pay their fair share of tax.

MNCs may not favour the aspect of sufficient tax payment involved with Brexit but the ‘Soft Brexit’ but will reassure them with better certainty as it allows them to plan growth, investments etc. by staying in the customs union.

Conclusion

To summarise it is not certain whether the UK will withdraw from the European Union, and if so how? There are still debates on what type of Brexit to opt for. This has resulted in delays and multiple votes in the House of Commons, to which there has been no consensus as of yet. Brexit’s major affect is the increase of uncertainty, such as, exchange rate fluctuations, financial market instability, depreciation of GBP, inflation etc. The shock could lead to a recession, with reduced disposable income it will disrupt the fluidity of capital and economic growth.

Families precautionary savings [PwC. 2019] implies Starbucks will face a bigger challenge leaving EU with a no deal because there will be an increased struggle of control between the headquarters and subsidiaries, leading to a loss in profit. Large companies have unstable strategies to cope with new economic geography as well as being unsure on what to prepare for, hence the pressure of Brexit on MNCs. For example, German Electronics retailer, Media Saturn, is facing challenges and is underperforming despite the established status.

Starbucks’ financial arrangements, supply chain and retail operations will be affected by many factors including: labour migration, workforce, market access/trade, taxation, and WTO legislation etc. from both scenarios of Brexit. However, it is likely MNCs prefer a ‘Soft Brexit’ as it is more promising in terms of certainty allowing them to strategize and operate closely with the EU.

Starbucks: Analysis Of External And Internal Strategic Factors

Starbucks was found by Gerald Baldwin and Gordon Bowker who were two college friends. Howard Shultz purchased Starbucks Coffee in 1982 to introduce and improve the performance of the market. Starbucks is widely known in the United States and internationally as well, including countries like China, Canada, Germany, etc. Starbuck’s main mission is to inspire individuals throughout their brand.

Starbucks Strategies

Starbuck’s strategy was the experience of Starbucks, meaning the way customers experience was with Starbucks. Starbucks strategy included excellent customer service, community relation, location, layout and design of Starbucks, and top-quality products. In further detail, Starbucks had several strategies that led to having one of the best coffee beans. Employee involvement was another factor that attributed to Starbucks strategy, where employees are required to be enthusiastic and take pride in their work. Recruitment hiring those who bring to that table consistency and personality. Having a training program that extended and broaden basic customer service skills. Alongside building community relations and social purposes that build that customer bond. Where everyone is welcomed and not judged by one’s color or race. That connects shareholder value because everyone is part of the community. The layout and design of Starbucks attribute to the strategy Starbucks holds because layout and design are what catch a customer’s eye. The detail that Starbucks portrays in its store is critical. The layout and design are to be comfortable with an artistry approach to it. A layout and design with natural earthy tones that are rich and eye-catching. The location of Starbucks is a major role that plays in

the strategy aspect, putting stores in urban parts to build that brand buzz and get the word out. To build a bigger horizon in Starbucks Strategy, they started to diversify the business, which meant incorporating “other ownerships and management formats, more products, and different channels of distribution”. This included, but was not limited to Starbucks store cards, Starbucks bottled drinks (PepsiCo), retail packs of Starbucks through grocery stores.

Starbucks Financial Performance

Starbucks ‘ financial performance is important when evaluating how efficiently it performs. Starbuck’s financial performance will be an analysis and comparison of its performance through the years 2007- 2014. While analyzing Starbucks ‘ finances during 2007-2014, in the seventh period, the ratio and growth decreased (2008/09). Although after that recession, revenue growth remained well. The revenue growth in 2010- 2014 was at a high growth for Starbucks. The operating income has also increased tremendously from 2008 to 2012 by 15% during the year 2012. Although there was an operating loss during the year 2013, they didn’t let that hurt their future earnings, while they still managed to bounce back to a healthy state. The reason for this loss was due to legal actions from Kraft Foods. There was an improvement in the future (2014), as well the improvement in previous years apart from the 2013 loss, Starbucks had a high improvement during the year 2009-11 for instance. In general, Starbucks portrays healthy finance with low debt or equity.

Starbucks competencies core is effective and efficient. This is because of their strategies offering different types of products and top-quality beverages. Their equity is basically, formed on selling the best quality coffee. Where it is unique and sets them apart from others (competition). Such as its experience being operated on top-notch customer service skills and loyalty. Its human resources having values and building that external and internal link with its suppliers. This allows a successful business strategy to expand in the international market long-term.

Starbuck’s tangible (external analysis) resources are its equipment and supply of goods. Such as operating globally and showcasing tangible parts of it around the globe. High-quality coffee beans and merchandise is another factor in building business awareness and revenue. Whereas its intangible resources (internal analysis) are its skills, reputation, brand, and technology also. These four categories mentioned are key in differencing Starbucks from its competitors. The skills that employees hold are important in serving customers the best service that they deserve. The skills that the employees have, allows them to build relationships with customers. Successful employment interaction creates and builds trust with their customers. Having updated technology and a positive reputation, as well a brand name grows, a business successfully like Starbucks.

Starbucks’ external factors are its opportunities and threats, whereas its internal factors are there strengths and weaknesses. Starbucks’ external factors include new market opportunities where it can expand internationally in China or European countries. As well as forming partnerships that will expand their market. Another external factor is threats from competitors.

This is the same for the threat of new entry. Once McDonald’s came in as a competitor, it becomes a competition because of similar products and lower prices. As well as other private local coffee shops that offer similar products, such as Dunkin Donuts. Another is the bargaining power of buyers or customers. This is because there are many different buyers in the market and industry, where they can have the ability to put a decrease in prices. Competition rivalry is a factor in this because they have a bigger market share than others. Starbuck’s internal factors include (strengths) their design and layout being unique from others. Offering free Wi-Fi connection, friendly environment where there are comfortable seating areas. Alongside quality products and a strong brand name. Having a great representative and powerful human resource management. The weaknesses of Starbucks are another aspect, some of its weaknesses are its high prices compared to other coffee shops. As well as mostly being known for coffee or tea, beverage drinks.

Shareholder Interests & Future Strategy Solutions

Starbucks operated in the interests of its shareholders because they want to hold a shareholder value that is long-term. The reason behind this is because they would benefit from expanding the business and growing in the international market. It would be an opportunity to grow in the international market by merging in China or India for example. Their interests are more likely in shareholders because of the high profit they are making. There are hundreds of Starbucks stores in China, that are operating well. India is another venture that holds Starbucks stores in airports and malls mainly.

Starbucks’ solutions to their threats and strategies are that being unique and different is what sets them apart from the competition. As well as providing that top-quality product that allows them to have one of the greatest coffee beans. A solution would be to possibly lower prices down a bit because they are also known as having high product prices.

Starbucks Threats

Starbucks faces quite a few threats when it comes to being new into the market and its competitors as well. Starbucks competitors included McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts, and Burger King for instance. Most fast-food services provided coffee drinks in their menus, where most were looking to build competition with Starbucks. They started doing this by including premium coffee into their menus like Starbucks. Apart from showcasing similar products, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts mentioned that “Starbucks is overpriced and snobbish”, where they were hurting Starbucks reputation and name; which threatened their advertising and true character. On the other hand, the competition threat was getting more serious with Starbucks’ withdrawal from Australia. Aside from competitor threats, Starbucks does have a possibility of facing threats to the consumption of coffee. Due to many people being more concerned about their health, it is likely that there could be a downward turn in coffee consumption. Another threat factor is the pricing of the products. High prices on their products or coffee beans could cause Starbucks in customers or a withdrawal in certain coffee blends. Its reputation and how other coffee brands are a threat to Starbucks because they could advertise Starbucks in a negative way. For example, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts did, which is harming the brand name.

In conclusion, Starbucks has greatly earned a positive brand name and reputation. They have grown in sales over previous years. Starbucks is unique and has deafferenting skills that set them apart from the competition. Starbucks’ strategies will keep on leading them to a successful future ahead.

Essay on Business and Business Environment of Starbucks

Task 1

  1. P1: Explain different types and purposes of organizations; public, private and voluntary sectors and legal structures.
  2. P2: Explain the size and scope of a range of different types of organizations

I’m Ashman an assistant business analyst junior working for a large multinational company in Malaysia called Starbucks. Firstly I will provide an overview of the different types of organizations that is known in the business theory as well as an explanation of the rapid growth of international businesses.

Public organizations are organizations that aim to provide services for the public which includes services such as the police force, fire patrol, schools etc. The organization is run by the government and it is funded by the tax money that is gathered by the government from the people.

Private organizations aim to survive, maximize their profit and to expand their business for example retail Jusco, Tesco etc. The organization is run by private owners and shareholders, the organization is funded by the owner and shareholders of the business.

Voluntary organizations aim to raise awareness for the needy, and certain cause for educational or charitable reasons. Any profits or extra funds earned will not be shared among the shareholders or the owners but will be spent serving its chosen cause, examples of these organizations are Salvation Army, Children In Need etc. The organizations are funded and run through mainly donations and voluntary work.

International firms contain transactions that are placed and carried out overseas to satisfy the needs of an individual, firm or organization. The transactions morph into multiple types of classification which for the most part will not harmonize with one another. The main form of a global business includes import, export, trade and foreign direct investment which can be shortened to (FDI).

Global businesses are expanding more than ever, the reason being that there is a high fluctuation of middle-class consumers, compared to a few decades ago people now are getting richer due to globalization, more people are getting employed and earning an income which would mean that there will be various segments of consumers that businesses can seek out in hopes for an opportunity of doing business. These middle-class consumers are quickly innovating the business world as well as the world around them. The relationship between the public and private sector has increased the growth of global power faster than ever, this, for example, can be NASA from public business and Space X a private business who are co-operating together in order to send the first person on the moon by the year 2030.

The world of technology is changing so rapidly, it’s so fast that it takes a massive role in the success of businesses in the modern world today. Mega business like Amazon is strongly reliant on technology, their market is based on the internet, selling their goods and services as well as creating a platform for sellers to sell their goods and services. Amazon also uses QR system which allows the employees in Amazon to easily locate the item needed to be delivered to their consumers. They have also adopted the idea of easy movie access called Amazon fire stick. You could say that technology is one of the key reasons for Amazon’s success today. Society is heavily armed with technology and uses it in their everyday life, they use it to communicate with people, keep up with the news and trends. If businesses aren’t able to keep up with this, then the businesses will not be able to survive.

Microenterprise:

A microenterprise can also be known as a micro business, in this size of the organization, only a maximum capacity of fewer than 10 employees are allowed to work within this organization. This size of the organization has a capital of at least RM 50,000 and to be financed it highly needs reliance on microloans, the owner’s capital and loans that can be received from close friends and families.

Small Enterprise:

In this size of organization, only an existing 50 employees or less will be within this organization, this size of the organization will have a capital that is less than RM 250,000.

This organization will be present in about every sector of industry, and they can vary from shops that can be seen at street corners or to small manufacturing premises.

This size of the organization will have to be financed by the means of the owner’s capital, loans or financial support from friends and families, government funds or private stock shares.

Small Medium Enterprise:

This type of organization in manufacturing refers to a defined organization that are associated with sales turnover that does not go above the maximum capacity of RM 50 million or a maximum capacity of 200 employees. In the context of services this organization can be defined with associations of a sales turnover that doesn’t go over the maximum capacity of RM 20 million or in other way is that the full-time employees in this size of the organization will not exceed 75. This size of the organization is funded by owner’s capital, private loans from families and friends and loans from banks.

  1. P3: Explain the relationship between different organizational functions and how they link to organizational objectives and structure

Background:

Starbucks was established in the year 1971, at the time Starbucks was a company that mainly operates as a roaster and a retailer that sells whole bean and ground coffee, tea, and spices in their first single store at Seattle’s pike place market.

Type of Organization:

Starbucks function as a franchiser, meaning if any interested party wants to operate under the company they will issue a permit of license, after the person acquires a license they will be able to use Starbucks’ name, logo and business models etc. This particular businessman or woman will be known as a franchisee.

Products and services:

Starbucks has a range of variety of products and services that they offer. Firstly their most popular selling product coffee, Starbucks is known for its good tasting and aroma coffee which is why Starbucks have an astounding number of over 30 unique blends of premium coffee. Starbucks loves serving its consumers specially prepared handcrafted beverages which can vary from freshly brewed coffee, ice beverages, Frappuccino coffee and so on. Starbucks also surprisingly sells their own merchandise such as tools to brew coffee or tea, other forms of merchandise like accessories, cups, mugs etc. Lastly, Starbucks sells fresh food to its customers that are freshly made. It includes sandwiches that are made from freshly baked bread and ingredients, fresh salads that have been specially selected, yogurts etc.

  • Vision: To become a national company with values and guiding principles that employees could be proud of.
  • Mission: Starbucks wants to inspire and nurture the human spirit- one person and one neighborhood at a time.

Mission Explanation:

In the simple context at Starbucks, our mission is to provide ideas and let people explore new things but letting them do so by one step at a time.

Starbucks Organizational Structure:

Starbucks operates in a structure known as the matrix organizational structure, a combination of various basic features originating from the fundamental structure. The foremost corporate structure used by Starbucks are as followed; functional hierarchy, geographic divisions, products-based divisions and teams.

The functional hierarchy is a structure where one entity will have higher authority than another entity. For example within Starbucks there are several functioning departments, now each of the departments will be ranked from the most important to the least important.

Geographic divisions’ focuses on the areas and location that Starbucks operate within, Starbucks has an operating HQ in the global market located in America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and even Africa. Now, this structure will allow Starbucks to provide managerial support in the vast scope of the globe, which is good as the managers operating within Starbucks will have flexibility in making corrections in the plantings of their market strategy in order to adapt to the dynamic global market.

Product-based divisions are in charge of the product line. This division allows Starbucks to pay close attention to continuously improving their products in order to provide the best quality output to the final consumers. This division provides Starbucks with the drive and a sense of competition, which is necessary in order to counter the threats that can be recognized under SWOT analysis.

Teams are used in various structures within Starbucks. Though it is only identifiable at the lowest end of the organizational structure, especially at Starbucks cafe. For every Starbucks cafe, there is an organized set of teams that will deliver the goods and services to final consumer. This structure allows Starbucks to both efficiently and effectively provide goods and services to final consumers. It is very important that Starbucks maintain a good team structure, as it connects with the sales made by Starbucks. There for it affects the financial position of Starbucks as well as representing the economic performance of the business.

  1. P3: Explain the relationship between different organizational functions and how they link to organizational objectives and structure.

CEO

Figure 1.0

  • Marketing
  • Finance
  • Legal and Corp Affairs
  • Human Resource

Human Resource Department

The human resource management department is the most important department in Starbucks. It is responsible in managing, maintaining, retaining a high-performance workforce. The human resource department is also responsible in recruiting new employees and help them undergo essential training in order for them to perform task at work properly. This department relates to all departments within Starbucks as every department will need manpower to operate.

Finance Department

The finance department has the responsibility to manage the money of the organization. Its business function within the organization is planning, arranging, auditing and accounting for the organization’s finance. Regularly this department will provide the organization with its financial statements after the end of every accounting period.

Marketing Department

The function of the marketing department is to engage with customers, as well as to manage a profitable relationship and capture the value of the customers. It is responsible to communicate and deliver great value to consumers in order to manage profitable relationships with the customers.

How does Human Resource Department interrelate with other departments?

In Starbucks the Human resource can link to the finance department, the finance department in Starbucks can’t be fully reliant on technology alone it will also need manual labor in Starbucks in order to operate. If there were any faulty errors that were to occur in the accounting software or system that the Starbucks finance department use, they will need someone that works in Starbucks to overlook the error and fix it manually, also Starbuck’s human resource will need finance from the Starbucks finance department in order to recruit, hire and pay employees that exists in Starbucks. The same concept applies for every other department in Starbucks, for example, the legal corps affairs and marketing department in Starbucks, this department in Starbucks cease to function without the manpower to operate it, no one will go out the field to search for ideas, conduct surveys or manage all legal files and documents. Starbucks Human resource is a department that will help to motivate employees in Starbucks, setting a goal for the employees in Starbucks and giving them compensation in return whether it be benefits or monetary allowances, this can help Starbucks employees to perform better and be more productive at task across all departments in Starbucks this is a reason why and how Starbucks human resource department links to other departments that reside within Starbucks.

Task 2

  1. P4: Identify the positive and negative impacts the macro environment has upon business operations, supported by specific examples.

A factor in the macro environment is the demographic factor, but we must know the demographic environment. The demographic environment basically involves the people who make up the market.

This factor will further look into demography which studies the trends in the human population such as size, density, age, gender and occupation etc.

It will also look into demographic trends which are changes in age and family structure, geographic population shift, education characteristics and population diversity. Looking into generational marketing which is where the company will segment people by lifestyle or life stage instead of age. And the demographic factor will also look into the age cohort which includes baby boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and Post millenniums.

The benefit of the demographic factor is that Starbucks will be able to carefully analyze and select a specific target market that can favour the company.

Another benefit is that Starbucks will be able to recognize the various markets where Starbucks can create value, build a lasting profitable relationship and capture the value of the customers in return.

Lastly another benefit that Starbucks can gain from the demographic factor is that Starbucks will be able to collect and gain data in the population, they will be able to compare the information and identify the trends in the population for example the number of female consumers who consume coffee decreases, Starbucks can then determine their sales in the future and decide upon on what and how many products and services are to be offered.

A drawback to the demographic factor is that though marketers may collect and use data to determine what events that the organization would likely face in the future, there is still no guarantee that any of their predictions will come true because they are basically just assumptions made by the marketers themselves.

Another drawback is that the population is rapidly and always innovating, there is never a point where the population remains constant. Therefore a marketer from Starbucks cannot carelessly collect data from a specific time. In order for the collection of data to be successful, the marketer from Starbucks must collect the data constantly in order to have a grasp unto a realistic idea of what will really happen at any point of time.

Lastly, another drawback is that when Starbucks’ marketing is based on the information they gain from revising the demographic, it would mean a potential loss of customers who aren’t fitted in the general demographic due to Starbucks’ inability to place efforts to attract those particular customers. This will obviously lead to the loss of the potential to create profit.

Moving on to the next macro environment, which is the economic factor.

This factor contains variables that can impact the purchasing power of a consumer as well as their spending patterns. For examples like inflation, interest rate, stock market fluctuation, and GDP; Gross domestic product.

  • Economic
  • Environment

Figure 1.1

  • Changing consumer
  • Spending
  • Patterns
  • Changes in income

In figure 1.1 we can see more clearly that the two variables that are impacted by the economic factors.

Over the years there have been many changes, but you can’t help but notice that the changes in income are so obvious. We can see that the rich are clearly only getting richer, the middle class are slowly disappearing and the poor will always remain poorer.

Consumers also are cautious of what they buy, making to differentiate quality between brands as well as the price tag that goes along with it. The consumers spending patterns has been affected by economic factor therefore businesses will have to carefully provide financially attractive offers with great quality and performance in order to attract customers.

A benefit of the economic factor for Starbucks is that Starbucks can determine whether it is inexpensive to make a loan. When the interest rate are low Starbucks will be able to apply for a loan with extra money to be invested back into the business.

A drawback to this, however, is that if the opposite were to occur with higher interest rates, Starbucks will be more in debt to the lender, with a dynamic interest rate it can place Starbucks at risk as the business asset values also correlate with the interest rates.

A benefit of the economic factor is that during an inflation prices for goods and services skyrocket but a drawback however is that Starbucks will have to pay their employees more in order for them to survive, and consumer spending will decrease significantly which will result in less sales and less profit therefor putting Starbuck’s business survival at risk.

Lastly, another benefit to the economic factor is that Starbucks can collect data on current factors that are affecting the economy in order to forecast what might occur in the near or late future to the business.

Though however, a drawback is that there will be uncertainty, unexpected changes can occur the factor may turn out for the better or it can turn out for the bad there is no way to absolutely sure.

Another macro environment factor is the political factor. This factor will concern Starbucks as this is a factor where the company’s sales and profit will depend on the state of the current position of the government in which the government operates in.

The benefit of the political factor for Starbucks is that when the Government of the country that Starbucks will operate in is stable then that means Starbucks will be able to maximize profit and not worry about an unstable Government.

A drawback to the political factor is that the Government may choose to increase the tax rate and administer it to Starbucks which would affect how Starbucks operates as Starbucks would try to minimize sales in order to avoid tax.

Another macro environment is the environmental factor, this factor will concern Starbucks as it will look into the sustainability of Starbucks operations, and how environmentally friendly Starbucks is.

A benefit to Starbucks is that environmental factors can provide Starbucks with the opportunity to make a good image for the company. For example, Starbucks can find a new way of how they source their coffee beans in order to be environmentally friendly.

A drawback is that Starbucks may have to make major changes in order to find a new supplier that can source coffee beans in a sustainable way, but this will cost Starbucks money and time of course.

Another macro environment factor is the technological factor. Since technology is the most dramatic force that is landscaping and shaping the market. It will have a major impact on how Starbucks will operate.

A benefit of the technological factor, Is that it can help Starbucks to market its products and services more easily. With access to social media and online marketing, it will be easy for Starbucks to reach out to more customers.

A drawback to the technological factor is that sometimes technology can be very expensive and very hard to keep up to date. Technology can be very costly, and very quickly new versions of them are released very fast. Starbucks may not be able to keep up with the pace of change in technology.

Another macro environment factor is the legal factor. This factor will consider acts that are enacted by the government that will protect companies from each other, copyrights act, and customers from unfair business practices.

A benefit to this factor is that Starbucks will of course be protected by the government from any other businesses that wish to directly harm Starbucks financially and socially. It will also ensure that Starbucks’ brand image cannot be copied by any other people who practice fake brands.

A drawback is that Starbucks may have to put in extra effort, some government acts may be restraining for a business for example if Starbucks is charged with a high tax rate it will have an impact in Starbucks’ profit.

  1. P5: Conduct internal and external analysis of specific organizations in order to identify strengths and weaknesses.
  2. P6: Explain how strengths and weaknesses interrelate with external macro factors.

Firstly I will explain to you what SWOT analysis actually means; Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Firstly we will discuss the strength of Starbucks, Starbucks as we know have a really popular and well-known brand image within the food and beverage sector of the industry. Their share of the market, number of customers; especially loyal customers and profits keep growing every day.

Another strength of Starbucks is that Starbucks have a great financial performance, this is true as the company’s net value sits around $81 billion, making sure to have a fixed position within the market and a growing number of stores over the few years; 1998-2018 their number of stores went from 1,886 to 29,324.

Lastly, another Strength of Starbucks is that Starbucks has a comprehensive line of supplies. The sourcing of Starbucks coffee takes place in the regions of Asia-Pacific, Africa and South America.

Now we will discuss the weaknesses of Starbucks, the first weakness that comes to mind is that Starbucks is well known for being of high quality but there is no arguing that Starbucks is very expensive, especially for those who are classified to be in the middle class in financial aspects. The term affordable or cheap can’t be applied to Starbucks.

Another weakness to Starbucks is that Starbucks is also known for evading taxes in Europe more specifically in the UK where in 3 years of sales prior to 2012, Starbucks didn’t pay an outstanding balance of 1.3 billion pound sterling.

Lastly, another weakness of Starbucks is that a handful of the products offered at Starbucks are not suitable with the cultural standards of other markets. E.g. for certain areas, the crafted drinks in Starbucks is not associated with the customers’ taste.

Now we will discuss the opportunities that are open to Starbucks. One opportunity for Starbucks is to make great expansions throughout regions it hadn’t ventured to for example India, Africa, and China.

Lastly, another opportunity for Starbucks is to introduce new brands in order to welcome more profits; in this case products like (Milk with sweet organic honey, Eggnog latte, etc.).

Now we will finally discuss some of the threats that Starbucks is facing. Firstly Starbucks will face major competition with other competitors in the same branch that are selling food and beverages at a cheaper expense than Starbucks.

Lastly, another threat to Starbucks is that other multinational companies like Mcdonald’s and Dunkin Donuts may pose to be a big threat to Starbucks’ market share.

Now we will discuss how one of the variables in the SWOT analysis and how it relates to the Macro environment factors.

Now if we look at the SWOT analysis within the weakness category, we can see that Starbucks food and beverages are highly expensive for people, especially middle incomers. Now we can relate this with the economic factor in the Macro environment, I have explained that within the economy there is changes in income, I mentioned that the “Rich will be richer, the middle class is disappearing and the poorer will be poorer”. If this is happening where then will Starbucks get its main profit from if its segments of customers are slowly disappearing?

Now from the macro environment and Swot analysis, we have made various findings, but how do they exactly affect the decision-making of Starbucks? Well, firstly the demographic environment can affect the decision-making of Starbucks because Starbucks will have to determine the suitable segment to target in the characteristics and trends of the population in order to fully maximize their profit and sales. The economic environment can affect the decision-making of Starbucks because sometimes even with a well perform economy, there may be unforeseeable events that can occur that could heavily impact Starbucks E.g. A change of Government.

Now in the Swot analysis, we have identified their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats all of these influence the decision-making of Starbucks because these analyses are the main key points of the company, and being able to identify them Starbucks, will know what they can add, what they need to improve on and how they can go about to achieve their vision and mission.

Reference:

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General Overview of Starbucks’ Operation

Pour Your Heart into It: Starbucks Paper

Firms might work by fulfilling client needs, however, their definitive responsibility for financial execution is to the owner of the firm. Activities embraced by the cited firm will as a rule have the direct or indirect aim of producing incomes and benefits for the firm, and thus the owners. At the point when speculators survey a potential venture, they will take a look at the financial performance of a firm, evaluating the past execution, with the thought of how present and expected procedures will effect on the associations’ execution, in regard to the normal large-scale natural conditions. This paper will be focusing on the performance of Starbucks and the success behind the Starbucks organization.

Starbucks is an all-around perceived café chain, which additionally roasts, markets, and retail coffee. Starbucks was established in 1971 in Seattle with a solitary store gaining practical experience in the roasting of espresso. In any case, it was under the authority of Howard Schultz who obtained the organization from the organizer in 1987 that the organization began to develop. By 1989 the organization was roasting 2 million pounds of coffee for every year, and had 46 stores and when the first sale of stock was made in 1992 the organization had 140 stores with incomes surpassing $73 million. By December 2016 Starbucks had an aggregate of 24,893 stores situated around the globe with the extension helping essentially using the franchise model. The association has faced a few difficulties, diminishing interest following the subsidence, and challenges related with cannibalization decreased deals in certain zones, and brought about a limiting of the firm including a few terminations. Howard Schultz was a sales rep with no foundation in espresso. The organization he worked for sold espresso grinding equipment to Starbucks, only an espresso roasting task at the time. Starbucks purchased so much gear that Schultz chose to visit them to see what their business was about. He delighted in the hands-on condition so much that he got down to business for them.

I have never truly amass the flavor of coffee so I am certainly not a regular Starbucks customer. Not because I don’t enjoy Starbucks but I am more of a Dunkin Donut fan and Nescafé coffee brand fan. In any case, since the first time when I tried Starbucks coffee, I have sat on the sidelines captivated by the accomplishment of this present world’s most conspicuous brand despite the fact that it wasn’t generally my thing. After reading the book by Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks called Pour Your Heart Into It, it changed my tune. In my brain I use to think of Starbucks as a viral infection assuming control over the world one store at once and having arrived to the highest point of the mind in less than a decade. But after reading Schultz’s book I understand that numerous individuals, including myself, don’t have an idea how Starbucks came to be what it is today, or exactly how extraordinary an entrepreneur Schultz truly is. A grand adventure of advancement in the coffee business, the book gives wonderful knowledge into the journey Schultz has driven the organization on and the numerous deterrents that he has faced along the way. One of the quote from the book briefly highlights the faith Schultz had:

“Fear of failure drove me at first, but as I tackled each challenge, my anxiety was replaced by a growing sense of optimism. Once you overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, other hurdles become less daunting. Most people can achieve beyond their dreams if they insist upon it. I’d encourage everyone to dream big, lay their foundations well, absorb information like a sponge, and not be afraid to defy conventional wisdom. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,” (Schultz, p. 19).

Of the numerous part of the book that impacts me, three that permeate to the top are enthusiasm, persistence and teamwork. Schultz accentuated the significance of being enthusiastic about what you are doing. A standout among the most extremely important occasions of Starbuck’s initial history is, not long after subsequent to going ahead board, Schultz went to international housewares appearance in Milan, Italy, in which he was amazed with the enthusiastic coffee culture he found. Had Schultz not experienced the café culture with clients tasting expresso for a considerable length of time in a popular café environment, he wouldn’t have had taken the ideal beverage back to America and began his own organization that later on obtained Starbucks from Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker. Had it not been for Schultz’s example vision of energy for coffee joined with Italian neighborhoods where romance and creativity intermix, Starbucks wouldn’t have accomplished such across-the-board sway and enduring qualities. Persistence is another common topic all throughout the book. One of my favorite quote in the book strikes an emotional chord with me and highlights the value of this quality:

“Life is a series near misses. But a lot of what we subscribe to it not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It’s seeing what other people don’t see and pursuing that vision, no matter who tell you not to. When you really believe in yourself, in your dream, you just have to do everything your possibly can to take control and make your vision a reality”. (Schultz 44)

With regard to coffee, Starbucks has made its imprint and is positioned high on the rundown of the most well-known global chains. Its overall task comprises of more than 16000 stores in roughly 49 nations. This current organization’s essential spotlight is on having a strong promoting system, outstanding client administration and recognized items which has enabled the organization to separate itself from its rivals. There is incredible accentuation set on having a high caliber of coffee bean therefore the organization buy its beans from an assortment of espresso fabricating nations. Starbucks is famous for their coffee however they have additionally expanded their perspectives by selling cold drinks in a variety of flavors, fresh creamed refreshments, richly steeped drinks and a variety of food items. This organization has additionally achieved another gathering; tea lovers with an assortment of value teas.

Is Starbucks only a cup of coffee or is it more? Starbucks has taken a fundamental thing and changed it into a lifestyle. People are never again attracted out to enjoy coffee in the first part of the day just to get the caffeine they require throughout the afternoon; they can drink coffee any day of the year for amusement purposes. Coffee is at present a pleasant issue that anyone can have at whatever point they please. What caused this serious change? Single word: Starbucks. When one buys some Starbucks espresso, they aren’t buying just espresso; they are gaining an encounter. From the solid espresso smell, the laid-back atmosphere, and the rich preference for any variety you need, Starbucks customers fathom the qualification between regular espresso and Starbucks espresso. Overall advancement is basic to effective associations; Starbucks is no exception. While Starbucks was astoundingly effective in its private market, the pioneers of the association realized they would need to try globalization and develop the association to remote markets to totally utilize the potential that the association had.

The Starbucks mission is separated into 5 major focuses. The first and most significant is the espresso. One thing that Starbucks proclaims all around gladly is that the nature of the espresso dependably has and dependably will be the main need. Morally sourcing the best espresso beans the world brings to the table will never be set aside for later in the Starbucks realm. Starbucks espresso purchasers set aside some effort to venture out to ranches in Latin America, Africa, and Asia to ensure that just the most noteworthy quality espresso beans are being chosen. Another center is their accomplices. All representatives of Starbucks are called accomplices since they are energetic about their work. Accomplices are treated with deference and agreeable in their workplace, it is home. In Howard Schultz’s book, Pour Your Heart into it, he expresses the key is the heart. I empty my heart into some espresso, thus do my accomplices at Starbucks. At the point when clients sense that, they react in kind. The clients of Starbucks are the following core interest. Each client’s experience is one of a kind and they all associate with accomplices in an unexpected way. Regardless of whether one is a normal or requesting their absolute first latte, an association is made with that individual, regardless of whether it’s just for a couple of minutes. Starbucks stores are what give the clients a feeling of having a place. It has turned into a spot where one can meet your companions and departure. Regardless of whether you live a moderate or quick paced life, Starbucks obliges that. Our neighborhood is the place everything depicted above meets up. It moves toward becoming where a client is agreeable. Taking a similar course to and from work or school to stop by their Starbucks neighborhood is something the organization invests heavily in. Building connections is the thing that Starbucks endeavors to do each day. The monstrous development of the organization demonstrates exactly how fruitful Starbucks has moved toward becoming. There are more than 20 thousand stores worldwide and as yet developing. Starbucks has likewise been associated with network administration. In 1977 the Starbucks Foundation was made. It rouses youth to be phenomenal pioneers in their own locale. The Starbucks Foundation additionally urges workers to get included. Other people group administration ventures incorporate Surfers for Autism, nourishment banks, and cleaning covers.

The core of Starbucks is their clients. There is a great deal that goes behind what keeps them returning each day. As individuals become increasingly joined to brands on the planet, it causes them have a feeling of the individual they are. Brands give individuals a spot to have a place. Starbucks is an incredible precedent in light of the fact that their principal objective is to interface with clients. A noteworthy commitment of Starbucks’ way of life is the language. It finishes the Starbucks experience. The language is notwithstanding something as basic as knowing the sizes; a little is a tall, a medium is a Grande and a huge is a venti. In the event that you are new to the Starbucks world, the baristas will be glad to enable you to settle on choices and articulate menu things. The baristas are there fill your heart with joy better and simpler. After an initial couple of visits, the new client will feel like piece of a part of society worthy of anyone’s attention. Starbucks speaks to development and advancement. In a consistently evolving world, clients interface since society is constantly interested with the most up-to-date thing. A brilliant apparatus that Starbucks utilizes is furnishing clients with free Wi-fi. Another way Starbucks stays aware of this innovation-driven world is putting forth free music and application downloads each week. Regardless of whether an understudy needs to complete their homework or on the off chance that they need to video visit with companions, Starbucks gives them a spot to do that. Starbucks gives comparable individuals a spot to meet and associate, similar to a third home.

Presently Starbuck’s position is as the main espresso association depends exceptionally on the world development strategy. Development of Starbucks around the world is still in the beginning periods and Starbucks has an incredible open door for future development. Starbuck’s primary target was to dispatch itself as the most famous and regarded brand on the planet. The organization’s principle objective was to the extension of its branches everywhere throughout the world, to expand its retail business, grow new strategies, item and present new dissemination diverts so as to accomplish its objectives. The organization other points was set up its image as a main brand in espresso advertise by selling astounding items, giving better administrations and assemble connections among clients and Starbucks.

Key components of Starbucks’ organizational culture that adds to its achievement in a worldwide economy. Demonstrate the executives’ job with making and supporting the hierarchical culture. Starbucks has set up a solid spotlight on its hierarchical culture; it places incredible accentuation on structure a solid aggressive environment that focuses on the advancement and improvement of the organization. The capacity to have this kind of hierarchical culture has enabled the organization to motivate their employees and push them to achieve the objectives and objectives of the organization; they cultivate creative ability and advancement by executing an open and fun condition.

As they continued looking for development, Starbucks’ starting spotlight was on turning into the main retailer of forte espresso. Howard Schultz, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, needed to accomplish this objective by making the Starbucks Experience. In particular, the vision was to make something other than the store to buy forte espresso, the expectation was to build up a sort of third place where individuals can get away, reflect, read, and chat. The brand Starbucks was centered on the structure was retail put together and focused with respect to the spot and the experience. The Starbucks development plan was fixated on building up an incorporated inventory network, building up a quality brand that could then be utilized and after entering the basic need channel. Starbucks created appropriate simmering bends and advancements, for example, the single direction valve on the sacks used to store cooked espresso so as to guarantee a steady, quality item.

Starbucks had a great business strategy that raised the business widely. The business system of Starbucks’ is identical to the corporate dimension methodology since the organization is a solitary business organization, concentrating on just espresso-related items and retail locations. Starbuck’s corporate methodology has been to build up itself as the head purveyor of the best coffee on the planet while keeping up their positive standards as the develop. The firm standards of the organization are seen with its upkeep of an incredible and demonstrated workplace for each staff part in its retail locations. It maintains a decent variety and guarantees the most noteworthy models for its items. The organization fulfills clients and offers back to the network and the earth. Likewise, Starbucks perseveres to be productive and it is. They live by a severe, moderate development strategy totally ruling a market before setting its sights further abroad. This procedure has picked up them the upside of being one of the quickest developing organizations in the nation. Starbucks trusts that their representatives are one of their significant resources in that their solitary supportable favorable position is the nature of their workforce. Overall, the stature that Starbucks has figured out how to reach is incredible. The way that something, as basic as coffee, can make transformed into an immense business is entrancing. Starbucks has figured out how to join the world with its way of life and items. It is being utilized as motivation for some, nearby cafés. It just demonstrates that on the off chance that you have your mind set on something, the sky is the limit.

Starbucks center on inward technique as well as a spotlight on outside methodology. For this reason Starbucks center on showcasing blend which is a device of outer promoting procedure which can expand the interest of an item. The four noteworthy showcasing blends resemble Product, Service, advancement, and Location are the arrangement of controllable advertising hardware that any organization can adjust to accomplish its fundamental goal in the market. Additionally, physical proof, individuals and advancement are the broad devices which are utilized in the promoting blend to make further investigation.

Starbucks has a major menu like refreshments, pastry shop nourishment, natural product and tidbit plates, breakfast and Nutrition yet the real item is fermented espresso. In Starbucks shops clients are getting a charge out of the one-of-a-kind encounter of inclination which they call a third spot where they can unwind between their voyages from home to work. Starbucks expect to give consumer loyalty to give uniqueness of appreciating Starbucks coffee experience. In Starbucks shops the earth is extremely agreeable, unwind, get to the Wi-Fi, listen your preferred music and no smoking. As per Corporate Social Responsibility Starbucks is firmly dedicated to a positive picture in the network. Starbucks has straightforward relations with the shopper and the media through social and natural occasions. Starbucks is resolved to ensure its best stores area. Starbucks each store is arranged at very spot where no traffic round it. Starbucks has shared comprehension around the world with various coffee ranchers and has right save to those yields, and the greater part of the coffee beans was bundled and dispatched to Starbucks retails stores far and wide. Because of this dispersion channel, Starbucks kept up its separation from different contenders.

Starbucks utilized for the most part a separation procedure, anyway it had likewise utilized a cost authority system. Its separation procedure was exemplified by their stores giving an encounter, offering intriguing espresso-related beverages in a showy sort of environment, their one of kind Coffee mixing and simmering process which empowered them to make a broad item assortment, their representatives got an extraordinary arrangement of preparing to turn out to be entirely proficient about espresso so as to give remarkable support of progressive espresso instructed buyers, and their capacity to locate the ideal area for their stores empowered them to boost piece of the pie in a given zone of a city and construct their territorial notoriety which at that point expanded their picture to a national dimension of high esteem and status. For every one of these reasons, buyers were eager to pay a premium. Their cost initiative technique was exemplified by their production network activities where they got the best transportation rates, and had the capacity to accomplish economies of scale by dispensing with excess and augmenting effectiveness.

One of the primary issues that Starbucks is facing the capacity to keep up the national upper hand. Because of their nearby interest conditions, Starbucks endeavors to fulfill all clients by attempting to motivate and support the human soul one individual, one glass and one neighborhood at any given moment. Nearby interest conditions comprise of an organization attempting to fulfill the requirements of their nearest clients and extending their upper hand by redesigning their vital administration strategies. In 2002, startling discoveries of statistical surveying demonstrated issues with respect to consumer loyalty and brand significance for Starbucks clients. The circumstance was unsatisfactory for an organization whose general goal is to assemble the most perceived and regarded brand globally. Starbucks should speak to another and better place where any man would unwind and appreciate quality time, alone or with others. In any case, the statistical surveying demonstrated that in the psyche of the shoppers, the Starbucks brand is seen as a corporation, attempting to extend interminably and hoping to profit. This tremendous gap between clients’ observations and Starbucks’ qualities and objectives called for prompt activity.

As I walk into our nearby coffee house back home in NYC Martha Bakery, I am welcomed with a smile and casually asked, ‘Hello, what have you been doing?’ I appreciate a short discussion with the cafe owner or one of the baristas, as I sit tight for the gourmet espresso or tea that I requested. When I achieve a table to take a seat and unwind with my drink, I’ve effectively encountered a few short discussions with a portion of different regulars. I adopt a great part of the neighborhood news and discuss art or social issues with a couple of individuals. My experience isn’t remarkable. For many years, bistros have been a hot spot for neighborhood people, writers, and social activists to connect with like-minded people. Be that as it may, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s when bistro culture was commoditized by corporate espresso chains, for example, Starbucks that the normal individual in the United States wound up mindful of gourmet espresso. Its utilization has prompted the ubiquity of bistro culture. Albeit many whine about the homogenized variant of bistro culture offered by Starbucks, this espresso goliath is to thank for the massive development in café culture throughout the last a quarter century. It showed Americans gourmet espresso, adds business to freely claimed cafés, and powers nearby shops to offer more to its clients so as to contend.

Starbucks has improved its notoriety to the network as a cooperative person. In all spots where it does its business, Starbucks has dependably been endeavoring to make positive commitments to the networks. The organization has been contributing by offering work chances to neighboring networks. Starbuck’s offers a sizeable work power to volunteer in different network administrations. In 2007, for example, the organization’s workforce, accomplices and clients in Canada and United States logged 320,000 volunteer hours. The organization has plans to build its commitment to network administration. By 2015, Starbucks hopes to have limit contributed more than 1 million hours of network administration yearly over the globe. Starbucks has additionally been offering help to neighboring networks and has been tending to zones, for example, destitution disposal, literacy and environment.

Natural supportability is one of the key destinations of Starbucks. Since 1992, the organization has been building up inventive methods for limiting waste from their tasks. The organization has likewise been reusing waste items, as a method for lessening natural contamination. The organization has additionally settled ‘green groups’ that create and actualize natural supportability initiatives. However, concerns have been raised since Starbucks clients frequently leave shops with their glasses and arrange them off in the avenues, thus making a ton of waste. As National Coffee Drinking Trends clarifies, containers ought to be comprised of material that is as degradable as could be expected under the circumstances.

The present over-soaked market has quite recently an excessive number of items and insufficient consumer money. In this way, it is imperative to represent something authentic. It is likewise essential to constantly revive and rethink your item. Try not to be hesitant to pursue your vision. Dreams, vision, and enthusiasm: These things can’t be estimated, and they absolutely can’t be instructed. They will give your business and your image the fundamental uniqueness and trustworthiness expected to emerge in a field that gobbles up similarity. In the meantime, ensure you are building the kind of foundation that will enable your vision to turn into an enduring reality. At the same time there is a chance that you are a visionary, search out taught framework manufacturers. Without them, you will come up short on materials; and without you, they will only run set up. In case you will develop past the size and extent of your rivals, you must most likely envision puts that no business has ever been previously. In any case, it isn’t sufficient to just envision. The espresso had never been in a Frappuccino Howard Schultz envisioned it, and after that put it there. This is only one case of the alluring posterity of the marriage of vision and procedure.

Conclusion

Starbucks began as an untested thought of a little café in Seattle that has turned into a main worldwide business. Over the most recent 44 years, Starbucks has kept up their chief models, has stayed solid, and kept on flooding in profit. In spite of the highs and lows of the business, they have kept on propelling the fog of quick development. Past its business accomplishment, it has saved its corporate trustworthiness and made noteworthy commitments to the world’s open, money-related, and ecological advancement. There is solid faith in the domain they made. As of now, Starbucks Coffee Corporation is an open organization that has been profoundly beneficial while keeping up a global piece of the pie. As development both locally and all-inclusive are embraced the organization’s picture will keep on prospering. The organization should know that as it develops locally and globally it takes on more duties. The support agreement it offers to its workers is very momentous and yet knows that every province has distinctive political and social hindrances. As the organization continues extending, it should play it safe will set them up for any money-related panics.

Reference

  1. Schultz, Howard. Pour Your Heart into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. New York, NY: Hyperion, 1997. Print.