Your brand is so much more than a logo. When it comes to Starbucks, they have been phenomenally successful because they have developed its brand and taken the time to ensure that they have always managed its visual and verbal language. When it comes to the visuals and the spoken language of Starbucks, it is present in every interaction.
When someone walks in the door, and the staff immediately greets a customer. Then from that moment, there is a very welcoming environment for people to get their cup of coffee. This really sets Starbucks apart from other locations, the person is relaxed the moment that they get to their coffee, and they want to be able to connect with others.
The aroma of the brewed coffee the Wi-Fi and all the other options like pastries also mean that it is an environment where people can focus. When it comes to a swell to the message that Starbucks is looking for, this also creates an amazingly comfortable and alluring environment for collaboration. Often many patrons will linger for hours and not just for minutes because of the environment created.
When it comes to Starbucks, they have mastered the total brand experience. That is why they can have the level of quality, the products and all the elements that they do. It is the experience as well that has enabled them to charge the prices that they do and still have people that are willing to come back for more.
What is the Starbucks Story?
The consumer has a noticeably clear experience as they are exposed to the brand through every interaction. Starbucks has changed the entire coffee business and a lot of that is because they have driven consistency in every single step of their brand. That has been implemented over 21,000 times in over sixty-five countries in the world.
There is always the same design, the same floor plan and there is the same kind of furniture as well as look and feel. This look and feel are something that was patented and designed back in 2014 at a campaign called “Meet me at Starbucks,” in this campaign, there was a noticeably clear codification of all the product as well as service offerings that are critical to the brand.
Starbucks had a very tall order which came from the CEO when they were staying true to their roots. The CEO has described this as, “We are not in the coffee industry serving people, we are in the people industry serving coffee.” This has kept Starbucks extremely focused on creating an experience that is cherished by patrons all over the world.
When it comes to brand identity, there is a system that Starbucks has created that has many extremely specific elements like purpose, personality, values as well as visual and verbal language that are all a part of their story.
What Are Starbuck’s Values?
Starbucks has truly clear branding guidelines that are a part of every single interaction in business. These are:
- 1. Creating a welcoming culture.
- 2. Always acting with courage and pushing the status quo.
- 3. Always being present and connecting with dignity.
- 4. Doing the best, they can in everything that they do.
These values have made an excessively significant difference in which their workers, their stakeholders, and their customers have always felt welcome. That also means that there are tons of product offerings as well that are so much more than coffee that are shared nationally and internationally.
When it comes to the success of the brand there are also a few properties out there that ensure that there is always a way to have alignment in the brands purpose, tone, and values. Here they are.
- 1. Brand tone and voice.
- 2. Symbols of the brand.
- 3. The brand story.
What is the Starbucks Tone?
When it comes to the way that the brand has worked to portray itself, it is noticeably clear that it is friendly and genuine. That means that it is consistent in all the communications that come out.
There is also the same consistency in all the marketing, the advertising, and in the way that people interact. There is even a lingo that happens with the baristas that has made Starbucks a very appealing place to customers as they work to learn more about the brand.
What are the Symbols of the Brand?
The Siren in the logo is a super mermaid, the reason for this is that she has a twin tail. The logo showed the seduction of the sea in the past, and that has also showed the connection to coffee. The logo has a circle shape and has a siren in the middle.
The logo has a very recognized use and has become important to the brand. It is on every cup, napkin, the door, and it is I all the signage around the building. The brand identity system that has been created is the main point of interaction between the brand and all the stakeholders.
The consistency of the brand at Starbucks is something that all other brands must seek to emulate to be successful in the long term. They have created a model that is on the same scale as other brands like McDonald’s which are not just about going to a restaurant. These are an experience that will ensure that the customer is going there for that experience each time.
This means a quite different thing from merely going to a coffee shop. A customer at Starbucks goes there and is willing to pay more for that brand consistency. They are creating an experience for the customer that is something familiar and that becomes the gold standard for those interactions as well as for the coffee experience.
What brands can you think of that have taken the experience to a new level for you? This is something that you want to replicate in your own brand.
