Comments on: Memo on the Starbucks Howard Schultz Memo http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/ Better thoughts through thinking™ Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:40:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Robert Peters http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Robert Peters Wed, 19 Sep 2007 03:54:28 +0000 http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/#comment-18 From the street view.In Belmar, New Jersey a swinging beach crowd met with a proposed Starbucks. The City shot it down and placed Dunkin Donuts instead.Not everyone appreciates the Starbucks experience that includes commercial general production coffees.While small stores like ours sell small holder micro production coffees and teas, even chocolate Starbucks might feature these but will never carry even a small inventory for less than $16.00 lb. What's not on their side is feeding their need for quick mass produced products such as coffee.It simply cannot be moved around that easily and cannot change to in store roasting operations. But they have been successful somehow to impress on customers they are still roasters. If they are its a long distance from roaster to shelf and that eventually hurts by placing Starbucks in the same mass produced coffee company of Maxwell, et. al. So far as we can see its not whether people like the company, or their image, its just that instead of having your shot pulled its now made by the super automated espresso makers that have that image of getting vending machine coffee. And ya know it tastes like it too. From the street view.In Belmar, New Jersey a swinging beach crowd met with a proposed Starbucks. The City shot it down and placed Dunkin Donuts instead.Not everyone appreciates the Starbucks experience that includes commercial general production coffees.While small stores like ours sell small holder micro production coffees and teas, even chocolate Starbucks might feature these but will never carry even a small inventory for less than $16.00 lb.
What’s not on their side is feeding their need for quick mass produced products such as coffee.It simply cannot be moved around that easily and cannot change to in store roasting operations. But they have been successful somehow to impress on customers they are still roasters. If they are its a long distance from roaster to shelf and that eventually hurts by placing Starbucks in the same mass produced coffee company of Maxwell, et. al.
So far as we can see its not whether people like the company, or their image, its just that instead of having your shot pulled its now made by the super automated espresso makers that have that image of getting vending machine coffee. And ya know it tastes like it too.

]]> By: mike fay http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/comment-page-1/#comment-17 mike fay Tue, 01 May 2007 11:16:24 +0000 http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/#comment-17 starbucks apparent changes for the worse may be as much to do with changing attitudes as with the company its self. perhaps the genre it created is tired. certain of its curent aspects could be too fad-like. the fundamental experience of buying a great coffee is what is ever-lasting, and this should surely be its guiding light for longevity. starbucks apparent changes for the worse may be as much to do with changing attitudes as with the company its self. perhaps the genre it created is tired. certain of its curent aspects could be too fad-like. the fundamental experience of buying a great coffee is what is ever-lasting, and this should surely be its guiding light for longevity.

]]> By: Scott Russell http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Scott Russell Tue, 01 May 2007 03:06:37 +0000 http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/#comment-16 I agree that Starbucks is rich in primal code, however any company growing at their pace which has reached their size is going to face issues of dilution of the brand experience. They need to slow down and re-assess their brand mission. As we all know biggest does not always mean best and it seems they have been hell bent on growth at all costs! Furthermore, I think Howard knows his company has gotten off track but is too vested in the growth expectation pressures of Wall Street. Whether he is the right person to get Starbucks back on track or not I am not sure. Sometimes organizations outgrow their founders. At any rate, the organization certainly needs his passion, however I think they could use some fresh( read as external/objective) ideas that would reinvigorate the brand experience. I agree that Starbucks is rich in primal code, however any company growing at their pace which has reached their size is going to face issues of dilution of the brand experience. They need to slow down and re-assess their brand mission. As we all know biggest does not always mean best and it seems they have been hell bent on growth at all costs!

Furthermore, I think Howard knows his company has gotten off track but is too vested in the growth expectation pressures of Wall Street. Whether he is the right person to get Starbucks back on track or not I am not sure. Sometimes organizations outgrow their founders. At any rate, the organization certainly needs his passion, however I think they could use some fresh( read as external/objective) ideas that would reinvigorate the brand experience.

]]> By: Doug Hands http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Doug Hands Tue, 24 Apr 2007 10:49:34 +0000 http://thinktopia.com/2007/04/17/memo-on-the-starbucks-howard-schultz-memo/#comment-15 Leaderhip counts. Mr. Schultz may need the carisma of Herb Kelerher at Southwest Air. Leaderhip counts. Mr. Schultz may need the carisma of Herb Kelerher at Southwest Air.

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