Marketing Strategy



MARKETING STRATEGY

Introduction

Starbucks started its operation in 1971 from Seattle under the leadership of Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegel, and Gordon Bowker. Starbucks started the business by selling roasted coffee beans, and various accessories for brewing and roasting the coffee. However, in 1982, an entrepreneur Howard Shultz joined the firm to further strengthen the company. Inspired by the Italian coffee culture, Shultz decided to replicate the culture in the United States (Robbins, 2008). In the context of this paper we intend to shed light on the product characteristics along with the structure of the company. Since the key to success to any name is the fact that how it tends to brands itself and thus the branding strategy of the Starbucks will also be looked upon. Along with this other integrated factors will be discussed in the course of this paper.

Discussion

Product Characteristics

Today the competition posed to Starbucks is much tougher and much more diverse, yet it is ranked among the leaders as far as the consumer's choice is concerned. The characteristic of the product tends to play a huge role in it along with the other factors which will be discussed in the course of this paper. Starbucks tends to specialize in coffee and other related beverages; however it's the experience which has enabled them to grow as much as they have. It is the coffee along with the rich experience which tends to provide them the competitive edge over other players in the market. Along with the coffee the company tends to operate in Italian-style espresso beverages, cold blended beverages and complementary food items. However their list does not stop here but goes beyond it and stretches to include a variety of premium teas and other coffee related accessories along with the equipments. As indicated earlier in the course of this paper that it is the coffee around which the company has built their empire.

Starbucks tend to thrive on its culture which is interpreted as the type of the service they tend to provide along with the ambiance and other similar factors which contributes to the setting up the environment. It is the environment of the place that tends to attract the customers towards it in the presence of many more brands in the market. Today the business of gourmet coffee tends to be the most evolving one with different players entering into the field. Starbucks despite of the fact has managed to thrive on its environment and the ambiance it tends to provide to its customer. In my opinion the way Starbucks tends to project its stores give them the competitive advantage over other dominant and less known players in the market (Michael, Stewart & Lyman, 2009). The stores of the Starbucks tend to prove itself as an experience in its self, which is still the unmatched even after so many years, has gone by. Starbucks tends to be different to other coffee stores because it is seen as a place where the individuals can ...