Brand Expansion a Gift or a Curse

Many-a-company started small. In fact, most of them knew nothing about image and brand, let alone the strategy and jargons associated with it. Today these companies have grown and as such, have seen a need to have a distinctive and attractive identity capable of attracting and maintaining customers. This identity is made evident in their operations, communications and every aspect of their business.

Hence, the companies which were born when those of the previous generation were identifying a need for branding adopted it from day one. As such, branding has come to play a major role in every business.

Yet, as these companies grew and evolved, so was the need for their brand to do likewise. Brand identities that were premised on the situation and mentalities of the owners at inception quickly had to be revamped when the values of these parameters changed.

Then came the need to have a global and futuristic view when developing the brand. But, the honest truth is that no one knows tomorrow; hence, looking at the wrong crystal ball would be detrimental to both business and brand. A brand built on an envisioned future held by its founders will only work if all its employees, partners and most especially the customers saw the same image when they looked into that crystal ball.

This forms the basis of our exploration of one of the biggest brands of all time; Starbucks. How have they coped with ‘the burden of carrying every one along?’

Let us look carefully at their mission statement

“To establish Starbucks as a premium purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow”

The first part of this mission statement has most definitely been accomplished and they have surpassed all expectations including theirs. The hard part is maintaining the principles you hold dear, in the face of global expansion.

From a single shop in 1971 and going public in 1992 with 165 stores to the now well over 10,000...