Month: September 2013

Hotel and Hospitality giant Marriott demonstrates that it is not about to rest on its laurels. It seems that 5 stars are no longer an emblem of luxury and status in today’s world, and Marriott pushes its boundaries by catering to an emerging market of hotel customers who crave the luxury experience.

Marriott thus developed a line of hotels named “Edition”. Like its name suggests, the line ensures that each individual location preserves its identity uniqueness according to “destination and time”(Marriott.com).

Currently there are only two EDITION Hotels, in Istanbul, Turkey, and London, U.K., respectfully. From an observer’s perspective, I believe this will positively impact Marriott’s efforts in preserving exclusivity within this particular brand.

Such a venture is demonstrative of Marriott’s forward-thinking business model. It is very easy for established and recognized brands like Marriott to fall into a predictable cycle. This shows that alongside expansion (Marriott operates more than 3,800 branches in 74 countries), brand development is crucial in retaining consumer interest.

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“Too Little Too Latte”- Starbucks caught out on tax evasion

Post author By amalhatmi
Post date September 11, 2013
No Comments on “Too Little Too Latte”- Starbucks caught out on tax evasion

Starbucks is the mecca for most coffee drinkers, who do not hesitate to pay $3.99 for a cup of coffee. Take it from me, who is a ardent coffee enthusiast–the relationship between a coffee drinker and Barista is a sacred one. However, when I learned of Starbucks’ tax evasion scandal I must admit I was disturbed. Starbucks managed to avoid corporate taxes in the UK for five years, and almost every year since it began operating in the UK in 1998.

As a customer I began to question the brand and what they stood for. I had admired Starbucks for a long time with its commitment to Fair Trade coffee and supporting underprivileged coffee growing communities around the world. This soon changed, and I began to question the veneer of friendliness that Starbucks manages to uphold in each of its chains. A question that is probably on a lot of customer’s minds is, “If they don’t pay their taxes, what else have they been lying to us about?”. Publicized crises such as this one, reflect the fragile bond that exists between producers and consumers, and how companies need to maintain their public personas.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2346808/Starbucks-finally-pays-5million-UK-tax-time-years-months-outrage-despite-253million-profit.html

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