Big Branding: My Starbucks Story

Global coffee powerhouse Starbucks has begun a new campaign, encouraging their “parners” (this is their word for “employees”) to upload video shorts about their day-to-day lives at  Starbucks. A cynical reader could think “sure, global conglomorate who provides my paycheck. I’m already your wage slave, why don’t I  film your next commercial for you., too?” But this really is, in no small way, brilliant.

Over time, Starbucks has lost some of its marketshare to smaller chains and local coffee houses because Starbucks has gotten a bad rap as a soulless corporation amongst a customer base that includes a ton of artists and entertainers who are not so much into that sort of thing. What a perfect way for Starbucks to strengthen their brand by saying, “look, we’re real people too.”

Starbucks  empoyees partners, especially the baristas, really are the front lines of the customer experience with the company and  the company’s entire Brand Identity. When we get to know and like them, we get to know and like Starbucks again. Even if they burn their poor little coffee beans far past the point where they are still recognizable as coffee.

So, what do we learn here? Well, if a multi-national, multi-million dollar (billion dollar?  Is it bad if I don’t go look it up?) corporation can do it, why not you? Show yourself to your potential customers! Not your slick, commercialized, ready-to-make-the-sale self, but you. Create a YouTube post, or podcast, or editorial blog post to really introduce yourself to your audience and let them know you’re just as likable as you are awesomely talented.

My Starbucks Story (via)