Let the Revolution Begin!

Source: www.underconsideration.com

Over this past week of March, I have observed the slight change on the coffee cups in the hands of students around campus.  At first I was puzzled, but taking a closer look at the cups, it suddenly hit me…Starbucks has begun phasing in their new logo! This month seemed light years away back in January when the decision to introduce a new logo was announced, but it has finally arrived. Over the next few years – few months, even – the world will witness the results of change to such an iconic brand.

As Cristalle Lau pointed out in her blog post, Starbucks received tons of criticism from their hard core coffee drinkers prior to the release of the logo in production.  Many warned that Starbuck’s was following in Gap’s footsteps with the failed launch of their new logo only months before.

While loyal fans cringed at the thought of change, others embraced it. A study done on the effects of altering well established logos supports this difference in opinions between brand ambassadors and less dedicated consumers. It states that:

“Those with strong brand commitment will see the original brand logo– and the associations–as representing themselves and the integral relationship they have with the brand.”

What the angry loyal fans don’t realize is that Starbucks may be looking for opportunities to expand into new markets. Studies also suggest that removing the English text makes Starbucks more accepted globally. They are engaging in a market development strategy by reaching new markets, and perhaps a product development strategy by stepping away from coffee and leveraging their brand to introduce new products. Personally, I am excited about the modernized logo, it’s about time they freshened up their brand image.  Whether it propels their brand further or cuts away value for its current consumer base, only time will tell.

Source: Starbucks Headquarters, Seattle