MidTerm:Starbucks Brand

“Our coffeehouses have become a beacon for coffee lovers everywhere. Why do they insist on Starbucks? Because they know they can count on genuine service, an inviting atmosphere and a superb cup of expertly roasted and richly brewed coffee every time.” – Starbucks.com Starbucks first began as a single coffee house in Seattle’s Pike Place Market; the name was inspired by Moby Dick evoking romance. “The original owners named the brand after the coffee-loving first mate in Melville’s classic novel, “Moby Dick.” For them, the name evoked the romance of the high seas and seafaring coffee traders. Today, the coffee trading practiced by Starbucks involves an entirely different kind of romance.” – Brandchannel.com Conquering New Grounds by John Karolefski Starbucks is a coffee company that offers consumers a “third place” experience between work and home or school and home. “a sort of link between home and work where you can read the paper, download some tunes, buy a book or two, and either prepare for the day or wind down from it.” –namedevelopment.com (Branding: Is Starbucks your “Third Place?”)

Starbucks offers many different coffee and tea drinks as well as non caffeinated options. Most beverages are between $3 and $5 and they target a large group of people which began with urban professionals but expanded greatly due to quality product and great customer service. “Every day, we go to work hoping to do two things: share great coffee with our friends and help make the world a little better. It was true when the first Starbucks opened in 1971, and it’s just as true today.”- Starbucks.com Starbucks originally targeted office workers with middle to high incomes, while this is still a large part of their market it seems to have expanded a great deal. The Starbucks brand reaches not only office workers but young professionals in all different types of fields as well as college students who need a perk before their 8am class. Coffee drinkers range from all different ages, high school goers to grandparents but Starbucks seems to target the majority of their consumer base. According to smallbusinessess.chron.com Starbucks targets men and women age 25-40 who make up of nearly half of their business, 18-24 olds make up another 40%. The target audience consists mainly of urban professionals with high incomes. The target market usually live or work in the city, they are of different ethnic backgrounds. The average price for a Starbucks beverage is $5 which is relatively high for coffee. According to scribd.com Howard Schultz wanted Starbucks to be the “Third Place” in between work and home, they were attempting to sell the atmosphere and I think did a great job of it. Seeing as how 40% of Starbucks business is made up of 18-24 year olds they place locations near by colleges where students can hang out, take breaks and even study. “From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection.” –Starbucks.com