International Marketing - Starbucks Case Analysis Essay examples

(3a): What trade-offs has Starbucks made? What different activity choices has it made from its rivals?

One of the big reasons Ms. Kudler is so interested in adding gourmet coffee in her stores is because of the massive boom in coffee over the past twenty years. Coffee has gone from a cheap product sold in Styrofoam for twenty five cents to a coffee and espresso mixed in different combinations with sugar and cream sold in fancy cups for over three dollars a cup. So as Ms. Kudler joins the ever growing market she is clear that she is competing with other giants in the coffee industry. Primarily she will be dealing with Starbucks, Starbucks is the coffee industry, and currently they are in many grocery stores and strip malls everywhere. Starbucks is so popular people refer to getting a starbucks rather than getting a coffee. Ms. Kudler is aware Starbucks and there

1. A group of controllable elements Starbucks will encounter when entering the global markets are the marketing decisions. Those would be the product, place, price, promotion, distribution and the research. Starbucks will have control as to where they would want their products and the presentation of it to their consumers. The unique Starbucks name and emblem will distinguish them from the other competitors and make it a recognizable household name brand. The unique Starbucks feel and vibe of their establishments is also something that is controllable. The music that is played and the Starbucks interior is almost always the same in

Starbucks is known for their Frappuccino’s; unfortunately they are on a downward spiral in sales due to competitors such as McDonalds. In 2008 Starbucks admits to its losses due to their competitors. “Company executives now freely admit that such thinking is largely to blame for the woes that led to Tuesday’s announcement that Starbucks will close 600 U.S. stores and eliminate thousands of jobs. The coffee giant’s missteps have come at a spectacularly bad time, hitting as the economic slump deepens and consumers are seeing their discretionary spending eaten up by rising gas prices and grocery bills (Linn).”

Threats • • • • Customers demanding fair-trade and organic coffee. Big chain coffee shops dominating the market. Economic issues and crisis Lack of ownership of primary resources e.g. Coffee farming.

Starbucks advertises two essential mission statements. First and foremost, it strives to “establish [ourselves] as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while [we] grow(s).” (Starbucks) Reflective of its mission, Starbucks bases its strategic campaign and communications on six indispensable philosophies; structuring a pleasant work environment in which employees are treated with “respect and dignity,” incorporating diversity in all business aspects, purchasing, roasting and delivering fresh coffee, retaining satisfied customers, giving back to the community and environment, and developing

Starbucks’ lead in the specialty coffee industry exemplifies the result of deftly executing a well-planned business strategy. Moreover, Starbucks is well positioned for what is expected to be a continuing rise in the popularity of specialty coffee products. The question before Starbucks’ leadership, however, is what avenues will lead to Starbucks’ goal of remaining true to its core, the highest quality coffee products while providing a “total coffee experience” for its customers?

First, Starbucks has effectively applied the product differentiation strategy. To achieve it, the company has specialized in different product mixes, aligned its business locations to a specific ambiance that suits the context, and varied the customer experience, thus resulting in a higher customer service satisfaction. Further, Coskun, Basligil, and Baracli (2008) note that Starbucks prides in having their customers enjoy a premium service. Therefore, the company’s signature strategy has worked well thus far, as competitors find it difficult to imitate. Second, the enterprise has coordinated its acquisition and portfolio strategy, thus consolidating the market. As discussed in the background chapter, Starbucks has a portfolio network of eight brands under its stable. Third, Starbucks’ international expansion strategy has worked well, with a presence in 70 countries (Starbucks, 2017). These factors, coupled with its financial capability, offer Starbucks an edge over its

1. In the beginning, how was Starbucks different from other coffee options for coffee drinkers in the United States? What activities and assets did Starbucks leverage to differentiate itself from

Starbucks first opened its doors in Seattle’s Pike Place Market with the name being coined from that of Moby Dick’s first mate (Schultz & Yang 1999). It has spread its shops across North America, all over Europe, the Middle East, Latin America as well as the Pacific Rim with an estimated 35 million customer weekly (Michelli, 2008). With tremendous growth from a small time coffee shop, the company has matured to an international icon that today it is one of the world’s leading retailer, roaster and brand specialty coffee (Story, 1971). The company offers whole bean coffees, espresso beverages, and confectionery and bakery items.

can order and pay for their drinks in a flash while stacking up rewards for each purchase made. This Strategy has significantly drawn people to Starbucks due to its highly anticipated services, products, and marketing strategies that differ from most fast food restaurants. The next service is the Starbucks webpage where the customers can go onto the site and view product and also make purchases. This service is quite excellent for those that want to checkout items online through the site, because it incorporates a similar process as the application on your smartphone. Starbucks also incorporates equipment and drinkware to their massive line of products. First their Drinkware consists of cups and mugs that are affordable to the customers. These cups come in many colors and aesthetic values, which make people interested in purchasing. Starbucks had the right idea when they decided to manufacture these cups out to their customers because not only were they a huge success for the business, but it also made Starbucks distribute more merchandise. Cold cups, which were from stainless steel containers. These containers made a rise once the popularity rose for other merchandise. These containers were sold very often to customers and once again made a surprise since it was from the same line of cups and mugs category. As more popularity grew in their products so did the equipment used to make customers coffee. First Starbucks decided to manufacture coffee makers, presses, and expresso

With the development of economic globalization, “fast food” becomes a more and more substantial industry in the business world, which adapts to the pace of people’s life. Each organization spares every effort to stand forward the competition due to the fierce competition. In this article, we focus on the “Starbucks”, a prevailing coffee manufacturer in recent years.

This case assignment discusses the history of Starbuck’s accomplishments as they entered the American coffee culture heritage. In 1983, The chairman and CEO Howard Schultz traveled to Italy and had a dream to carry the Italy coffeehouse ritual back to the United States. Schultz was focused on creating an environment meeting company that makes good coffee but also be a social experiment. Starbucks today opened more than 19,000 stores functioning in 62 countries. Starbucks has numerous rewards that globalization has offered and they have significantly benefited from it, while in the coffee industry. Starbucks has a wide-range in marketing strategies to benefit the customers. During the different obstacles that Starbucks has encountered, they must stay reliable in quality and uphold to adjust to different customer values.

1. What factors in the global environment provide opportunities or threats for Starbucks? How do Starbuck’s strengths and weaknesses match up to its opportunities and threats?

A. The company has the opportunity to expand its global operations. Some new markets for coffee such as India and the Pacific Rim nations are beginning to emerge.