New Starbucks Logo

Today Starbucks announced their new logo – http://yhoo.it/hX0T4h.

At first I gasped in horror when I saw the photo. How could they change the logo I love so much!?!?! I took a sip of my double tall non-fat caramel macchiato and stared at the picture for awhile… I still couldn’t make up my mind, so I then decided to actually read the article.

As a previous employee of Starbucks I remember the hard turn it took and all the changes the company made to bring it back up to where it is today. It’s amazing what they were able to implement.  

So why change the logo that has remained true through the entire process?

Starbucks has expanded into a much larger company than just coffee, no one can deny that. But do they need to change what their logo looks like to represent their morph? The article explains some of the thinking that went behind the change.

Starbucks looked to companies like Nike Inc. and Apple Inc., which had earned the clout with consumers to drop the words from their logos. And it closely watched the missteps of others, such as Gap Inc., which launched a new logo in October only to withdraw it after harsh criticism by customers and others.

In all truthfulness, I don’t pay attention to their name on the logo – I just love the little lady! After I recovered from my initial shock and set of doubts, I decided the new logo is just a more chic and simple version.

Since Starbucks did not stray far away from their original I don’t think they will receive the backlash Gap did when they re-branded. There was no need for Gap to change. Starbucks has made a strong argument for their revamp and I am a supporter

What is your opinion on the change? Have they hurt themselves or crafted a fabulous publicity announcement to celebrate their earned success?

Filed under: Marketing, Logo, Rebranding, Starbucks

Creative Marketing Focus Group

I love focus groups. Getting together with a roomful of other consumers and talking about what we do and don’t like about a product/service is one of my favorite activities. No joke. The best part is when people make suggestions for deals or promotions they would respond to. Such natural market research is hard to put a value on.

Last night I took part in a focus group for a local performing arts company in my area (will keep name anonymous.) They asked the general, but important, questions about our past experiences with the foundation, our perception on the quality of performances, and our opinion on ticket price. A plethora of ideas and conversations bounced back for the full 2 hour session.

But, towards the end of the focus group they asked one set of questions that I found extremely creative and insightful. We were asked to each compare the foundation with three other performance centers. Rather than saying one was better than the other, we were asked to describe each place as a type of car.

It was fabulous. One organization was described by everyone as either a Cadillac, Lexus, or Bentley. Another was given the description of Minivan, Chevy truck, or Toyota. Surprisingly, it even became clear that one foundation had a perception issue; no one really knew whether they were a Mini-Cooper or a Buick.

This was an extremely creative way to grasp an understanding around  the company’s brand perception. It was easy to compare the organizations this way, plus it was a fun and interactive question for the group.

What other creative and thought-provoking questions have you seen used in market research?

Filed under: Marketing, Bentley, Focus Group, Market Research, Minivan

Go Ahead… Entertain Me!

I found an amazing quote while reading my latest  novel, and found it impossible not to share with you! The passage is pulled from Michael Crichton’s Timeline written in 1999… crazy how true and freighting  his words are!

What is the dominant mode of experience at the end of the twentieth century? How do people see things, and how do they expect to see things? The answer is simple. In every field, from business, to politics to marketing to education, the dominant mode has become entertainment. Today, everybody expects to be entertained, and they expect to be entertained all the time…

…Malls and stores must be engaging, so they amuse as well as sell us… everyone must be amused, or they will switch: switch brands, switch channels, switch parties, switch loyalties. This is the intellectual reality of Western society at the end of the century…

…In other centuries, human beings wanted to be saved, or improved, or freed, or educated. But in our century, they want to be entertained. The great fear is not of disease or death, but of boredom…

Tell me your thoughts on today’s obsession with entertainment; is this good, is this bad? How has this obvious movement changed your business?

Filed under: Marketing, Public Relations, Change, Entertainment, Marketing, Michael Crichton, Timeline

Best Car Safety Commercial

So I officially found my favorite car commercial, ever.

Hyundai has made a commercial that reaches the funny bone and practical side of all drivers.

Don’t you remember the disheveled days of being 16? What about how many tickets you received your first year of driving? (I obviously will not admit my number!)

Hyundai does a great job portraying the safety features of their car and the desperate need to stay weary of 16 year old drivers on the road!

Filed under: Marketing, Car commercial, Car safety, Hyundai, Messy Room

Worst Ad Ever: Hitler? Really?

Alright, worst ad campaign of the year: New Form, a fashion company in Sicily, recently covered their city with 18-foot-high banners of Hitler. He is depicted in a pink uniform and a heart on his sleeve. Their campaign tag line reads: “Change style. Don’t follow your leader.”

I don’t care what the message is, it is still Hitler! Plus, the billboard size advertisements are massively offensive; literally. What were they thinking? Rumor has it that Chinese communist leader Mao Tse Tung is New Form’s next attempt at a funny ad. Jeeze.

Even though their tag line obviously tries to put down the world’s most ludicrous assassin by saying. “Don’t follow your leader,” it is far overshadowed by he fact that they use HITLER!!

Filed under: Marketing, Ad, Fashion, Hitler, Mao Tse Tung, Marketing, New Form, Offensive Marketing, Sicily, Worst