Kinda sad to write that headline as Starbucks came onto the scene and created the coffee drinker! In many cities there was no such thing as the corner coffee shop, a place to sit, sip, and hang out. I remember a parent at my son’s school say the kids needed a coffee shop, a destination, a safe haven just to hang out. He remembered the corner soda shop--speaking of something that is no more!
Starbucks was that place. Lots of imitators have followed and now some street corners are literally buzzing with hi- octane caffeinated choices.
Yes, Starbucks took over the Universe, but it actually helped create it, too. People with laptops and iPods are happy to sit and chill. One cup of coffee can go a long way. Unfortunately, much of what they started has now been imitated and tarnished.
The old-fashioned coffee shop that was never in my neighborhood made the Starbucks arrival a much anticipated, talked about enterprise. Now, quite possibly, it is on the endangered hang-out list. “Meet you at Starbucks.” Maybe not. If it goes, we are back where we started. It is still the only choice around here.
Yes, it’s true they grew quickly, too quickly. Their concept of being everywhere for everyone was maybe a little too much, but they created a culture for people that needed a place to go, to hold a meeting, or just to sit and relax over a steamy brew. The imitators will probably survive as they did not expand as quickly and were smart enough to follow Starbucks’s extensive real estate homework. The company researched where to be, and imitators positioned themselves nearby.
We are still a country of caffeine drinkers, we just have become more conscious of our money. The economy has cut our cups in half and made a “Tall” sound like a luxury.
So as Starbucks tries different strategies of marketing and offers more giveaways, they are demonstrating that they have heard the public outcry and want to be a player.
I say knock the prices down, have specials, entice the people, and show you understand the current environment and coffee backlash. It’s really not about the sandwiches.
Still NOT Quite Right « Allbeforecoffee’s Blog said
[...] · Filed under Advertisers, Pairings, coffee ·Tagged Starbucks OK, remember me, I said you could pull it out. Well, I was almost right, and almost only counts in horseshoes. For Starbucks to borrow a word [...]
I Wonder: Can There Be Too Many Good Deals? « Allbeforecoffee’s Blog said
[...] regularly crave a good hunk of steak, but now I’m becoming concerned. This is a little like Starbucks from a month or so ago when everyday there was a new promotion to help us get over the price tag [...]