May 28, 2008
Sirens Sound on Starbucks Logo
Dr. Michelli discusses the temporary Starbucks cup redesign campaign in the context of managing politically correct sensitivities while advancing your brand image.
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Ed Crawford said,
May 31, 2008 @ 12:22 pm
Hi: You asked for comments about the Starbucks logo.
As someone who loves coffee, I welcome the changes Starbucks is making. I like the emphasis on quality and the experience - that’s why I drink coffee. I even understand why they went back to the old logo.
However, even though I love the changes that Starbucks has made, I will not purchase their product until the current brown logo is de-emphasized and their billboard campaign ceases.
I’m not trying to be politically correct, and I’m not trying to be dogmatic about it. I just don’t want to be subject to the continued deterioration of society. Nor do I want to carry a picture of a naked lady around on my coffee cup. However, I recognize that I have specific beliefs that may not line up with yours. If you, in good faith, don’t mind the new logo, good for you, keep on shopping there.
As for Starbucks marketing of the logo, they never stopped using the old logo. You can still find signs in older WA area stores that have similar logo’s - just green. That didn’t cause me concern, nor did it raise a fuss from media hungry rabble rousers. Starbucks could have placed the old logo on the bags of Pikes Place blend and simply created a more appropriate retro-looking logo for their prominent marketing materials such as cups and billboards.
Wether or not the marketing “buzz” from this controversy ends up positively for Starbucks, in the long run, marketing and business plans that intentionally and needlessly upsets or annoy customers just to create “buzz” has to be bad for society.
Travis said,
June 3, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
I was at a local Starbucks (in IL) a few months ago and asked the workers about the logo. Being someone that travels to Seattle a lot, I’m familiar with the orignal logo from going to the original store in Pike Place. The Starbucks workers at my local store could not tell me whether the new design was here to stay or not. Which I found to be odd. Obviously the execution of the logo was not good for internal or external people.