Monday, February 12, 2007

Starbucks Company Reputation

The purpose of this blog is to follow Starbucks Coffee Corporation. I have selected Starbucks as my company because I am a loyal customer. I often find myself going out of my way to purchase one of their flavored lattes (Pumpkin Spice is my favorite!).

Company Identity:
On the company's website, www.starbucks.com, Starbucks makes it clear that the company strives to become "the most recognized and most respected brand in the world." The company prides itself in roasting only high quality coffees and selling a variety of pastries and other assorted coffee-related accessories and equipment.

The company follows six guiding principles that helps it measure the appropriateness of all decisions*:
1. Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.
2. Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business.
3. Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting, and fresh delivery of our coffee.
4. Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.
5. Contribute positively to our communities and our environment.
6. Recognize that profitability is essential to our future success.

Company Reputation:
Besides simply selling coffee products, Starbucks believes it must be socially responsible. A guiding principle in the company's mission statement is to contribute positively to the communities it serves and the surrounding environments. Programs Starbucks is involved in and contribute to are: Make Your Mark, Urban Coffee Opportunities, Caring Unites Partners Fund, Executive Community Leadership Program, Starbucks Memorial Fund, Starbucks Neighborhood Parks Program, and The Starbucks Foundation, amongst many others.

Company Recognition:
Starbucks has been named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens four times by Business Ethics. In 2007, Fortune Magazine named the company as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. The company has also been recognized as one of the most admired companies by Fortune, one of the world's most influential brands by BrandChannel.com, and one of the world's most respected companies by the Financial Times.

What Others Say About Starbucks' Reputation:
According to MarketingTeachet.com, Starbucks has built a reputation for having fine products and service as well as having strong ethical values and an ethical mission statement. On the other hand, the site does state that despite new product development and creativity, the company's innovations may falter over time. StarbucksGossip.com refers to an article in Business Week that discusses how Starbucks is making an attempt to improve its reputation overseas. While the company stays true to the principles on which it was founded and offers quality products, it is taking on a local flavor in each country by offering local food. Another site states that any negative press about Starbucks has been overshadowed by its image of being socially responsible and the fact that the company gives back to its communities.

Communicating Reputation:
Starbucks communicates its excellent reputation by proudly displaying how it has been recognized on the website. On the site, the company also has a press room where people can learn about the latest news on Starbucks dating back six months. If one wishes to find an article dating back prior to six months, he or she has access to Starbucks online archives. Starbucks also has a section on its website entitled Rumor Response. In the section, Starbucks is able to minimize negative publicity and try to correct false assumptions about the company.

Challenges and Opportunities:
The challenges that exist for Starbucks in improving its reputation is primarily in regards to how the company treats the coffee farmers and the countries which they are from. There has also been rumors that Starbucks is not fair to union employees; however, Starbucks denies all accusations. In order to sway public opinion, Starbucks must continue to provide information on what it is doing for its employees and how the countries and farmers benefit from its business.

* Information from www.starbucks.com

1 comment:

Da Prof said...

Great start! You've done a really nice job describing the reputation of Starbucks. I learned a lot about the company! Keep it up with your weekly entries. Let us know what's up each week - challenges? Opportunities? Buzz in the blogoshpere?