Starbucks



Emma KleinKelly DunbarSenior Project19 March 2013StarbucksStarbucks could be called one of the largest success stories in American history. The company started from humble beginnings and worked its way to the top. Starting from a small building in Pike Place market in Seattle Washington, there are now more than 20,000 locations worldwide. The company’s mission and goals have allowed it to succeed in a fast pace world, and Starbuck’s loyal customers have stuck by their favorite brand through it all. The Starbucks experience is unique from all others. The history and progress of the company have contributed to the Starbucks lifestyle we all know today.In 1971 Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Jordan Bowker pulled together $8,000 to open up the first Starbucks. Alfred Peet, their supplier of premium coffee beans and equipment helped inspire their venture (gourmet-coffee-zone 1). In 1982, Baldwin insisted on bringing Howard Shultz into the company as leader of the marketing department. After a trip to Italy, Shultz felt very inspired by the fashionable coffee houses and café culture he saw. Baldwin was not originally sold by the idea. He didn’t want selling coffee by the cup to distract from his whole coffee bean sales, but he let Howard test it out in a corner of one of the stores. Eventually Howard Shultz left Starbucks to start his own business. Selling his coffee by the cup was a big success. In 1987 he purchased Starbucks for 3.7 million dollars (gourmet-coffee-zone 1). Although it may have seemed like a gamble at the time, it was the best business decision that Howard Schultz would ever make. Throughout the years, Starbucks has celebrated many successes, along with some failures. The company has since moved on from that and has become even stronger. In 1988 came a big step in the Starbucks Company. They started offering full health benefits to full time and part time employees (Global assets 1). This was a major deal because it was not very common to get complete health benefits at that time, especially if you were a part time employee. As you can imagine, Starbucks has been through many ups and downs. In 2009 they were forced to cut thousands of jobs and close many stores (The New York Times, 1). However, they persevered, and as the company has evolved, so has the Starbucks logo. The Starbucks logo’s history has a long story itself. The concept of the logo is to capture an image of Seattle’s many sea ports and the seafaring history of coffee (Steve, 1). That is where the two-tailed mermaid came in, or Siren. The original icon of the siren was very suggestive but also showed the nautical theme that Starbucks was going for. Through the years, the Siren has evolved along with the company. The mermaid’s bare breasts that were exposed in the original logo are now covered by her long hair and the image is now cropped so you can no longer see her navel. Even after all of the changes, the siren is still the heart of the Starbucks and helped the company become what it is today . The Starbucks mission is divided into 5 major focuses. The first and most important is the coffee. One thing that Starbucks declares very proudly is that the quality of the coffee always has and always will be the number one priority. Ethically sourcing the finest coffee beans the world has to offer will never be put on the backburner in the Starbucks empire (Starbucks, 1). Starbucks coffee buyers take time to travel to farms in Latin America, Africa, and Asia to make sure that only the highest quality coffee beans are being selected (Global Assets, 1). Another focus is their partners. All employees of Starbucks are called partners because they are passionate about their work. Partners are treated with respect and comfortable in their work environment, it is home (Starbucks, 1). In Howard Schultz book, Pour Your Heart into it, he states "The key is heart. I pour my heart into every cup of coffee, and so do my partners at Starbucks. When customers sense that, they respond in kind.” The customers of Starbucks are the next focus. Every customer’s experience is unique and they all connect with partners differently. Whether one is a regular or ordering their very first latte, a connection is made with that person, even if it’s only for a few moments (Starbucks, 1). Starbucks stores are what give the customers a sense of belonging. It has become a place where one can meet your friends, and escape. Whether you live a slow or fast pace life, Starbucks accommodates that (Starbucks, 1). Our neighborhood is where everything described above comes together. It becomes where a customer is comfortable. Taking the same route to and from work or school to stop by their Starbucks neighborhood is something the company takes pride in. Building relationships is what Starbucks strives to do every day (Starbucks, 1). The immense growth of the company shows just how successful Starbucks has become. There are over 20 thousand stores worldwide and still growing. Starbucks has also very involved in community service. In 1977 the Starbucks Foundation was created. It inspires youth to be extraordinary leaders in their own community. The Starbucks Foundation also encourages employees to get involved (Starbucks, 1). Other community service projects include Surfers for Autism, food banks, and cleaning shelters (Starbucks, 2).Many people are not aware that Starbucks participates in Fair Trade. Fair trade is paying locally owned coffee growers top dollar for high quality beans. These beans are natural and not mass produced like most coffee beans. All funds go to environmental, economic and social projects. Each community is allowed to determine themselves where the money should go (Fair Trade USA, 1). This gives all communities a better quality of life. There are many advantages of Fair Trade such as improvements in education, environment, poverty, health care and women’s rights. Fair trade provides income for families to keep their children in school instead of on the farm. These funds provide supplies, tuition, scholarships and daily meals (Fair Trade USA, 1). Low income leads many farmers to practices that decrease environment quality such as deforestation and getting rid of pesticides in water resources. When fair trade is involved they ensure that farmers follow strict environmental standards. They aid in organic conversion and water conservation (Fair Trade USA, 1). Doing these things help their bean quality and in return Starbucks pays top dollar for their exceptional coffee. Fighting poverty is another huge impact of fair trade. By providing things such as tools to further smallholder farms, they are able to rise above debt and poverty (Fair Trade USA, 1). Small communities need proper health care to thrive. Under Fair Trade Certified standards, all farmers and farmer’s families are provided with adequate health care. This includes doctors’ visits, vaccinations and medicine. They work hard to build health facilities in these growing regions to provide appropriate assistance to their workers (Fair Trade USA, 1). The lives of women are also strongly impacted by Fair Trade. Under fair trade women are empowered because they are given many of the same jobs as men and they are free of harassment on the job. They are given many opportunities such as scholarships and leader positions (Fair Trade USA, 1). These advantages are only a fraction of what fair trade provides to these small coffee farm communities. Starbucks cares about their workers and strive to make lives better for them and their families.Ethical sourcing is a huge priority to Starbucks. Their goal by 2015 is to have 100 percent of coffee ethically sourced. They are well on their way to reaching their goal because in 2012, 93 percent of that had been accomplished (Starbucks sourcing, 1). Ethical sourcing has many advantages. It helps ensure transparency, good labor standards, and has a low environmental impact. Transparency helps indicate how much of what the buyer paid went directly to the farmer who grew the coffee(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 53). Another thing that ethical sourcing promotes is good labor standards. This means that farmers meet or exceed minimum wages while hiring no child or slave labor. It also provides safe, healthy working conditions for all growers(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 55). Also, low environmental impact is very vital to the Starbucks Company. Every day they are working to provide biodiversity on the farms by reducing the use of or eliminating pesticides and protecting their water sources(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 56). Summing up, the fact that Starbucks uses ethical sourcing makes it favorable to other companies that don’t use these practices. Starbucks imports most of their coffees from different farms from around the world. There are several types of farms the supply their high quality, whole coffee beans. Some of their growing regions include Latin America, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Kenya and Asia, just to name a few(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 43). These regions hold at least one of four types of farms that supply Starbucks coffee. The most common coffee growers are called smallholder farms. A majority of the world’s coffee supply is grown here. Another type is cooperatives. Cooperatives are coffee farmers organized into groups and join together to help promote and sell their coffee(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 46). Also, there are estates. They combine farming and processing in one location(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 47). This is a good type of farm because it produces high quality coffee beans, and at the same time promotes efficiency. Next are exporters. Exporters are independent organizations that buy coffee from smallholder farms, cooperatives and estates then help arrange coffee transportation to the buyers(Coffee and Tea Resource Manual, 48). Something that makes Starbucks stand out is that they support these locally owned farms that would otherwise be forgotten about. Starbucks cares about their coffee growers by building health care facilities in villages and creating Farmer Support Centers. This shows you that a large corporation can be successful without taking advantage or neglecting any of their coffee growers. Starbucks offers many different types of coffee. The lightest blend is the Blonde. The Blonde was created for customers with more sensitive pallets. Many people complain that Starbucks coffee is too strong but the Blonde roast offers a lighter, fresher taste that pleases many more coffee drinkers. There are two variations of the Blonde Roast, Willow and Veranda. The Willow beans come from Latin America and East Africa. It holds light and sparkling notes (Starbucks, 4). The Veranda blend’s lightly roasted beans come from Latin America. The unique roasting process allows the cocoa and nut flavors to shine through (Starbucks, 3). Starbucks also has ten varieties of medium roasts as well, the most popular being the Pike Place Roast. This roast is rich in flavor but also balanced enough to enjoy it every day. Many customers describe it as not too strong and not too weak (Starbucks, 14). Another medium favorite is the House Blend. These beans come from Latin America and slowly roasted to bring out the rich flavor. Another popular medium blend is the Breakfast Blend. This coffee is called the Breakfast Blend because is features a sparkling, tangy flavor that gives you a jolt of energy to star your day. Complimenting flavors of this coffee include blueberry and lemon (Starbucks, 10). The other medium roasts include Colombia, Guatemala, Iced Coffee, Kenya and Organic Yukon Blend. The bold Starbucks blends acquire a stronger taste (Starbucks, 1). The most popular bold roast is Sumatra. These coffee beans come from Asia. This roast comes with a full bodied, buttery flavor. Sumatra is different from the other bold roasts because it has strong earthy herbal notes. Many customers prefer this roast because there is no acidity. The best way to drink this coffee is to slurp it so the flavor can cover the pallet (Starbucks, 25). Another popular dark, full bodied coffee is the Fair Trade Italian Roast. It features an intensely sweet, smoky flavor. This multi-regional blend is enjoyed by customers who are looking for a potent but sweet roast (Starbucks, 21). A classic bold Starbucks blend is the Espresso Roast. The espresso is used in almost all of the lattes, cappuccinos, and Frappuccino’s at Starbucks. The rich, caramelly, distinct flavor keeps customers coming back for more. It can also be enjoyed at home and in decaf (Starbucks, 20). The French Roast is yet another signature dark blend. This roast is reserved for the most adventurous coffee drinkers. It offers intense smoky flavors that customers either love or hate (Starbucks, . Other bold roasts include Café Verona, Komodo and Gold Coast Blend. Every years Starbucks promotes their very popular seasonal blends (Starbucks, 1). Starbuck’s Casi Cielo bold roast is a very rich, satisfying cup of coffee. The word Casi Cielo translates to “almost heaven”. These Latin American beans produce a floral cocoa taste. This coffee goes especially well with savory herbs and cheeses or rich chocolate (Starbucks, 36) . The Tribute roast is a multi-regional blend that features many different notes through out. The flavors include hints of berries, dark cherries, nuts and cedar spices (Starbucks, 38) . A highly anticipated blend that customers look forward to every year is the Christmas Blend. The rich flavor comes from the beans that they age for 3-5 years. Through the aging process the beans develop flavors such as spicy, cedary and syrupy (Starbucks, 40). This blend seems to put everyone in the holiday spirit and satisfy their anticipation every year. To summarize, Starbucks offers coffees from all over the world to satisfy all types of taste buds. Whether you prefer a light, medium or dark roast, there are many different blends and flavors to accommodate that. All of these different coffees wouldn’t be where they are today without Starbuck’s loyal customers.The heart of Starbucks is their customers. There is a lot that goes behind what keeps them coming back every day. As people become more attached to brands in the world, it helps them have a sense of the person they are. Brands give people a place to belong (McGrath, 1). Starbucks is a great example because their main goal is to connect with customers. A major contribution of the Starbucks lifestyle is the language. It completes the Starbucks experience. The language is even something as simple as knowing the sizes; a small is a tall, a medium is a grande and a large is a venti. If you are new to the Starbucks world, the baristas will be happy to help you make decisions and pronounce menu items. The baristas are there make your day better and easier. After the first few visits, the new customer will feel like part of the in crowd. Starbucks represents growth and innovation. In an ever changing world, customers connect because society is always fascinated with the newest thing. A smart tool that Starbucks uses is providing customers with free Wi-fi (Asham, 1). Another way Starbucks keeps up with this technology driven world is offering free music and app downloads every week. Whether a student needs to finish their homework or if they want to video chat with friends, Starbucks gives them a place to do that. Starbucks gives similar people a place to meet and connect, like a third home. The Starbucks company continues to succeed through a long journey. From its humble beginnings, to where it is today. This company contributes so much to the world by doing community service and using positive practices such as ethical sourcing and fair trade. Starbuck’s mission guides the company through the ever changing world. The Starbucks experience is unique from all others and this is apparent through it’s amazing success. ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download