Effective Branding: Starbucks Essay

When thinking of a brand that I am loyal to the first brand that comes to mind is Starbucks. The Starbucks organization has done an amazing job of branding itself as the premiere coffee retailer worldwide. The Starbucks logo is widely recognized and is distinguishable even to non-coffee drinkers. The company has the advantage of commanding premium prices for their products that consumers are happy to pay on a daily, or even more frequent, basis. The ability to charge these premium prices resulted in 13.3 billion dollars in revenue in 2012 (The Wall Street Journal, 2013). Branding Oftentimes a successful marketing brand strategy involves consumer education (Grewal and Levy, 2012, p. 303). Starbucks did a great job of educating Americans on the coffee culture and the difference between the drip coffee made in our kitchens and latte’s or Americanos. Starbucks leveraged the consumer’s need to feel like a connoisseur and introduced them to different coffee products from around the globe (Stealing Share, 2013). Starbucks also did a very good job of making the product very visible. Starbucks stores started popping up all over Seattle first; the rest of the country was not far behind. Currently the company has 17,003 stores worldwide, with 10,787 of those stores in the United States (Statistics Brain, 2013). You cannot walk down the street in a major U.S. city without seeing a Starbucks store or a used Starbucks cup in a waste receptacle. This brand recognition happened very quickly and Starbucks didn’t have a whole lot of competition in these early days. The consumer coffee experience that Starbucks helped create could eventually lead to a need for a company brand redesign. Because coffee connoisseurs are now very knowledgeable about coffee products they expect continuous evolution. Starbucks has expanded their product line to include in-home coffee brewing products and stores located in supermarkets. This could lead to the consumer not valuing the Starbucks â€Å"experience† and turning to a lower cost competitor (Stealing Share, 2013). Packaging The most valuable asset that Starbucks has that relates to its packaging is the widely recognized Starbucks logo. The logo has evolved over the years, and was recently changed in 2011 (Corporate Eye, 2011). The logo that was used prior to 2011 included the words â€Å"Starbucks Coffee.† The redesign removes the company name entirely, and prominently features the picture that was in the center of the previous logo. Starbucks understands that their logo and brand are now recognizable without the company name similar to companies like Nike and Apple. The Starbucks cup is recognizable due to the Starbucks logo, but it also stands out for other reasons. The company was one of the first in the food and beverage industry to use recycled product in their packaging. This started with napkins and beverage sleeves, and continued with the actual cups that beverages were served in. Starbucks was one of the first companies to receive FDA approval to serve beverages in recycled paper (Food P roduction Daily, 2004). Comparison to Competitors While there a number of smaller specialty coffee retailers in the U.S., Starbucks’ most prominent competitors are Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonalds. These competitors started out as restaurants but quickly noticed the opportunities that the specialty coffee business presented. McDonalds is arguably the most recognized brand in the world and has worldwide brand recognition. The problem that McDonalds will have is educating its customers to the fact that they sell coffee. Also, McDonalds and Dunkin’ Donuts are both seen as budget-friendly companies, and this could also be a turnoff to customers seeking specialty coffee. References Grewal, D., & Levy, M. (2012). Marketing (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Food Production Daily. (2004). Starbucks corporation joins recycled packaging reviolution. Retrieved from http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Packaging/Starbucks-joins-recycled-packaging-revolution Statistics Brain. (2013). Company statistics: Starbucks. Retrieved from http://www.statisticbrain.com/starbucks-company-statistics/ Stealing Share. (2013). Lessons we can learn from starbucks. Retrieved from http://www.stealingshare.com/pages/Lessons We Can Learn From Starbucks Failures.htm The Wall Street Journal. (2013). Starbucks Corporation.

Should Handguns be Banned in San Francisco Essay

Should Handguns be Banned in San Francisco - Essay Example In a point by point counter argument Guy Smith quotes a wide range of validated research (based on the theories of Florida criminologist Gary Kleck) to point out that ï‚ § the victims of most gun crimes are known felons, ï‚ § that crimes of passion are statistically rare ï‚ § the New England Journal of Medicine research Supervisor Daly relies upon is known to be seriously flawed ï‚ § there is not necessarily a causal relationship between the availability of handguns and suicide rates ï‚ § there is research evidence to suggest that criminals are less likely to target someone they know to be armed ï‚ § the police force are unable to prevent crime effectively and in any event have no legal duty to protect a specific individual One wonders how useful it is to compare and contrast San Francisco with a country like Japan which has developed very differently in terms of defining a criminal and the status of handguns. For example one is aware that there is nothing like the personal honor code of the Japanese in the US. One cannot simply compare suicide rates in the way that Smith has done without examining why the Japanese commit suicide in the first place. All that can be deduced from the research on suicide that Smith quotes is that successful suicides do not require handguns - - they will find other means. The problem with these figures is that they are taken out of context. It is not clear what percentage of crime involves the use of firearms.

Study skills Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Study skills - Essay Example To begin with, the report will analyze on the powers and responsibilities of the Great London authority and the mayor (Mayor of London, 2011). Secondly, the report will have a reflection on the policies that are related to the environment, as introduced by the mayor in the last five years. This will be a critical analysis of the policies and a critical evaluation of the evidence as provided by literature reviews. Thirdly, the report will include focus on the existing gap between policy, public policy initiatives and general practice. This will be in line with the London developments in line with the established policies during the time of governance by the incumbent mayor. Lastly, the report will direct its focus on the concerns about the effectiveness of the greater London authority. This will also reflect on the effectiveness of the mayor in making it a key success in executing all the stated policies. Similarly, the report will have information about the environmental developments that have been effected by the great London authority. The success of the policies will be used to evaluate the performance of the great London authority and the mayor. Therefore, positive accrual will refer that the great London authority has been successful, alongside the services of the mayor, which is a positive trait. Powers and responsibility of the mayor The mayor and the great London authority have various obligations in their mandate, which need to be executed while in office. The GLA is a considerable administrative tool that was incepted in London to take care of the developments. It has vast responsibilities in ensuring there is rapid development in the area. The body is vested with powers and responsibilities that used to execute the decisions. Therefore, the development of London is the initial responsibility of The GLA (Edwards and Miller, 2008). London is a city that needs exponential development with a rapid improvement over the years. Apparently, the GLA is consid ered the apt option that would deal with the development of the city. This is a vast responsibility that needs ample preparedness and stratification of strategies on the development. In the recent times, the GLA has been coming up with developmental programs that are functioning to the advantage of the city. Therefore, it has been responsible for most of in its functions in the city. This shows that it has been effective in implementing it responsibilities. In addition to this, the environment has record rapid improvement as the city generates better services to the people. In essence, the implementation of the strategies by GLA has been successful in the city with more progress recorded in the past five years. The first responsibility of the Great London Authority is social development. Social development is an initiative that is geared towards providing a social induction that makes all the people have a better social life. The people have to be contented with their residence in t he area. This is only done through the provision of highly rated social services. Therefore, it is in the best interests of the GLA to ensure the people have the best social services. The social services include recreational grounds, effective transport and social living. With ample provisions of these services, the GLA will have successfully executed its responsibilities. In actual sense, the GLA will have accrued an effective performance in accordance to its obligations. The second obligation of the Great Lond

Construction Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Construction Practice - Essay Example In different types of procurements, the level of risk that the owner has to bear also differs. The control of the owner over the entire project also differs with the change in the method of procurement. Considering the nature of the project and the specific requirements of the owner with, I would suggest the traditional method of procurement for the purpose of constructing the specified things in the old building as well as for the parking lot on the nearby plot. The traditional form of procurement involves the appointment of a separate design team direct by the client. The team will develop the design in accordance with the client's design brief, arrange for a tender and subsequently administer the contract on site. The design and all the specifications should be completed in all aspects before the tenders from contractors are invited so that the owner can exactly understand the design and could make the desired changes as per the needs. The designer, who is specialised in the designs of architectural conservation and adaptive reuse of buildings, shall be able to comprehend the design exercise in a better manner and would there fore be able to provide appropriate design solutions that suit the structural requirements as well as the taste of the existing building. Adaptive reuse of a building requires specialised knowledge and there fore proper solution could only be achieved by appropriate designer. Since the owner has specific design requirements for the parking lot in terms of its architectural character with reference to the old building, I also suggest that the building to be designed by a specified designer so that the owner can exercise greater control over the process of design in order to achieve the desired result. For the construction purpose, a separate contractor can employed by the owner by being in consultation with the architect, to execute the design work which is normally under a standard joint contracts tribunal form of contract. Therefore in this case, the contractor and the design team shall be two separate bodies that are hired by the owner, both of them responsible to the owner. Here it is expected that the contractor exactly follows the instructions of the architect and in other words it can also be said that the architect is acting on the client's behalf to get the job completed effectively. The contractor quotes a lump sum amount for which he agrees to carry out the entire job. This also gives the client a control over the total budget of the project because once the quote is finalised, the contractor assumes the total risk of financial expenditures that are incurred during the construction part. In case of other methods of procurement like 'design and build', he would have lesser control over the design part of the building because both the duties of designing and building are been performed by a single team. Also there are fewer chances that the design team, responsible for carrying out the design for newer developments, have good knowledge of redevelopment in terms of the structure and the architectural styles of the old buildings. Since there is no division of responsibilities for designing and construction on the site, it shall be comparatively challenging for the client to achieve the de

Management Principles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Management Principles - Essay Example This report identifies the advantages and disadvantages of the lifetime employment model and offers lessons for today’s managers who are still considering using this lifetime employment system. When employees are given lifetime employment guarantees, the business must consider its responsibilities in terms of the law. Gibson and Piscitelli (1997) offer that business leaders must be careful about certain statements which are made which can be interpreted by employees to mean that their jobs will always be secure. In one large, multi-national business environment, a business manager, in passing workplace discussion, told his employee that â€Å"we will retire together†. This statement was made in an environment where no such lifetime employment guarantees were part of the business model, however the employee was able to convince the legal system that a lifetime employment contract was implied, thus imposing significant consequences for the business. Even though this was not a business where lifetime employment was being offered to employees, it tends to illustrate the importance of considering the legal responsibilities of these agreements. Repa and Stewart (1999) offer that the largest legal risk is when employees begin to perceive that contracts exist between themselves and the business entity, thus the creation of an implied contract becomes grounds for legal disputes. In a business where lifetime employment is part of the business model, companies must consider the risks of these types of agreements as employees have considerable legal resources available in the event that employees perceive breaches of these contracts, whether implied or based on written employee contracts. The business must also consider that, when offering lifetime employment guarantees, the current marketplace or economic conditions will not always, in the future, be favourable

Jazz and the influence it had on the 1920's Research Paper

Jazz and the influence it had on the 1920's - Research Paper Example Jazz originated in the 20th century in the communities of the African American in the South America. It is an amalgamation of African and European music (Kirchner, Bill 2005). Jazz is a piece of music which is difficult to define and there have been many attempts to define jazz by the help of other musical pieces. One solution to this is to define jazz more broadly and hence, Berendit defines jazz as one form of art which originated in the America through the confrontation of blacks with European music. He further argues that jazz has a special relationship to time, which is defined as 'swing’ (E, Joachim and Berendit.1981). The 1920’s is commonly referred to as the jazz age but was also an age of contradiction because there was prosperity on one hand and isolation on the other hand. As already mentioned, Jazz is a term which is difficult to define but yet there are many definitions of it. J A Rogers defines it as â€Å"A joyous revolt from convention, custom, authorit y, boredom, even sorrow from everything that would confine the soul of man and hinder its riding free on the air† (Rogers, J.A 1925).... New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz and Chicago and the Midwest were the home of recorded jazz until the late 1920s (Phillips, Damon J and Owen, David A. 2004). Jazz has always been a utilitarian music that is it is intended mostly for dancing. King Oliver’s jazz band, one of the excellent jazz bands’ recorded 40 title in the year 1923. The Jean Goldkette orchestra of 1927 which featured Cornetist Bix Beiderbecke was relegated to recording a mostly dreary group of pop songs. The great jazz numbers arranged by Bill Challis were unreleased by Victor Records which considered them commercially unacceptable. The period from 1929 to 1940 is when most of the jazz standards were originated. During this era, there were many great and excellent song writers who contributed for Broadway shows, for example, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers and Lorentz hart, Irving Berlin and Walter Dinaldson. Most of the historians agree that jazz began just prior to the turn of the twentieth century, and the most likely birthplace of this great piece of music was the city of New Orleans. The city of New Orleans is on the Mississippi River, the major waterway from the southern to northern United States which made it a conduit for music of all types, especially ragtime from Missouri and the blues from Mississippi. A person could hear a brass band playing ragtime, string trios playing popular ballads, the street musicians singing the blues and early jazz bands playing all of these things. The first Blues number, which was written as a popular song was the ‘Dallas Blues’. Tunes with the word Blues became very popular from then onwards. The decade of the 1920s was marked by huge advances in the

Managing&Leading Change Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managing&Leading Change - Assignment Example The significance of the specific article can be identified in the fact that both the literature and the empirical research have been employed in order to prove the interaction between theory and practice in the case of change management. The authors have used the concepts of change management theory along with the views of postgraduate students – currently managers – who have studied change management and had to apply theory in practice. The specific study can be therefore characterized as quite effective addressing the entire key issues using appropriate theories and empirical data; its potential use by teachers in the change management field could be considered to be one of its distinctive advantages. As in any study, weak points also exist – as analyzed below. However, they cannot be considered as having a major influence on the study’s effectiveness in the change management sector. The structure of the specific study is clear; it is also aligned with its priorities – as set by the authors. The views of the literature are presented in the first section of the study which is clearly distinguished by its second part – under the title ‘study approach’. Despite the fact that material within the study is appropriately placed - the concepts highlighted are valuable, still there is a significant weakness: the analysis of the literature presented in the first section is limited – in fact in the first section the views of the authors on the issues mentioned in the literature cannot be identified. The views of theorists are just placed one after another with no analysis of the content. In this way the interpretation of the definitions and the concepts presented in the literature section is not available to the reader of the specific article; it could be assumed that the reader is offered the chance to make his own assumptions on the mater ial presented in the literature section – especially after studying the findings of the empirical research presented in the second part of the article.  Ã‚