Free Research Paper On Starbucks: Situational Analysis For Communication Solution

Starbucks is the biggest coffee shop chain in the whole world. Being as massive as they are, it is noteworthy that up until recently, Starbucks had not invested on campaigns to increase brand awareness and improve their communication strategies. Instead, Starbucks, over the decades, had focused on improving their products and cultivating "Starbucks Culture."
Founded in 1971, Starbucks has been the fastest growing and largest global coffee company and coffeehouse chain. They not only serve coffee, but they also offer a selection of premium teas, pastries, sandwiches, and other treats. Starbucks is also committed to engage with their customers and communities. Currently, With over 20, 500 stores worldwide , and a plan to add 3000 more by 2017, Starbucks is driven to expand its reach in order to increase its revenue. Currently, there are Starbucks stores in 64 countries and territories, including 12,218 in the United States, 1,716 in China, 1,330 in Canada, 1,079 in Japan and 808 in the United Kingdom. Because of this very diverse market, Starbucks has launched a global brand campaign that aims to cut across cultural boundaries.
Starbucks is well-known for having an unconventional marketing strategy. They do not have ads in billboards, ad spaces, newspaper or posters. Instead, they focus on cultivating a Starbucks culture. Their new campaign emphasizes this. With the title "Meet Me at Starbucks", the first global brand campaign of this coffee giant established that their shops not only offer coffee and treats, but they also provide a place for people to meet, get together, and be physically connected. This film was filmed in 28 countries in one day, and it shows how important Starbucks stores are in communities worldwide. It aims to increase brand strength and global presence. Moreover, this film emphasizes that the millions who gather in their stores to get together have stories to tell, and Starbucks aims to tell these stories, not its own. This ad's message is that good things happen when people meet face to face. Through this campaign, Starbucks highlights that they are also interested in the people who come to their stores, and in their stories. This campaign used several media channels to disseminate its message. It used YouTube videos, display ads, possible TV spots, and social media platforms. In addition, it encourages people to also participate. Using the Instagram hashtag #HowWeMet, it allows users to take photos illustrating their personal stories.
The five-minute film is also interactive. The subtitles are available in eight languages to cater to its racially and culturally diverse target market. Furthermore, it gives you the choice to watch eight other films that tell the stories of different groups of people from different cultural backgrounds who regularly get together at Starbucks. For example, one film tells the stories of scrapbookers in Long Beach, N.Y; one shows the postcard-sending fanatics in the Czech Republic; another film documents women practicing the art of knot tying in Japan; and another film shows a hearing-impaired group meeting weekly in Honolulu. These films illustrate that although these groups of people come from different backgrounds and have very different stories to tell, they have one thing in common: they get together at Starbucks.
Generally, the communication strategies of Starbucks target internal and external audiences: their employees and customers. In line with this, Starbucks aims to create a Starbucks culture that values and respects diversity and inclusion. To achieve this, one of Starbucks' major communication channel, which is their website, are tailor-made for each country or region where they operate. Each local site contains the same contents, elements, and style as the international site. The local sites are also offered in either English or the regional language. This is an effective way of communicating the company's vision and mission, to ensure that employees are aware of the values of the company they work for. It is also important that there is a customized site for each region in order to cut across the language barrier. The local sites also provide people with promotions and other relevant information that are specifically for them.
Starbucks also has an Online Community. Aside from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, Starbucks has its own online platform where site visitors could submit their ideas as to how to make Starbucks products and stores better. Called "My Starbucks Idea", it allows visitors to share their ideas, vote, discuss, and see other visitors' ideas. However, it is primarily used in the United States only, although visitors from other countries could access it as well. The purpose of this platform, which is to engage with customers, is in line with Starbucks' core values. And it is an effective way of bringing Starbucks communities together. It would also be better if regional Starbucks have their own version of "My Starbucks Idea", using their local languages. This way, visitors from different parts of the globe could also create a community similar to what the US site has created. This would make them feel that their ideas matter as well
These communication strategies are well mapped out and organized. However, a communication breakdown is still a possibility. As in "My Starbucks Idea," it serves as a forum where members could say what they want to. Because this is unregulated, members could post as many ideas as they would like. In effect, having too many visitors could cause the site itself to shut down. In addition, the main and local sites could be hacked if Starbucks does not strengthen its security measures. It is important that Starbucks secure its primary media platforms.
In summary, Starbucks' communication strategies do not aim to promote their products or their brand. Their communication strategies are geared towards making Starbucks look welcoming. Simply put, it does not want customers to see its stores as mere coffee shops, but as homes. Starbucks is also keen on making their employees feel privileged to be working at Starbucks. They want their employees to see the company not as a gigantic corporation that does not care about its employees as individuals. In Starbucks, employees are valued. Their communication strategies promote this message. In Starbucks shops, posted reminders address employees as "partners."

References

MCCARTHY, J. (2014, September 29). Starbucks celebrates human diversity in global 'Meet Me at Starbucks' campaign. Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/09/29/starbucks-celebrates-human-diversity-global-meet-me-starbucks-campaign
Starbucks Coffee Company. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.starbucks.com/