Month: October 2012

Starbucks making its way into the Indian coffee market at the end of this month comes as no surprise, given their precious success and popularity. What is unusual is that Starbucks, infamous for its strong branding and praised for its effective marketing, will be infiltrating the the world’s second largest population as a joint venture with Tata at the end of this month.

Although I don’t doubt that they will be successful in India, the questions of whether the essence of the Starbucks brand will remain, given its association with Tata. As Rupinder’s Commerce Blog regarding this joint venture asked, “will Indian consumers associate Tata Starbucks with Tata or with Starbucks?”

In Debbie Millman’s article, “How Starbucks Transformed Coffee From A Commodity Into A $4 Splurge”, she discussed how Stanley Hainsworth, Vice-President Global Creative at Starbucks, said that “Many brands have lost their way in the process of evolving from a small company to a much bigger corporation.” I am curious to follow this development, and see whether the vision of Starbucks will vary, or remain true to itself in the shadow of Tata’s pre-established presence in India.

As technology advances, so does the frequency of change. New, innovative creations are popping up around the globe, and the old is quickly becoming simply a part of the past. The age-old expression “if it ain’t broke, don’t’ fix it” is irrelevant as corporations strive to differentiate themselves against their market rivals. Although new products are refreshing, this desire to constantly maintain a competitive advantage over other companies through revolutionary merchandise is rapidly becoming ridiculous.

While on the bus, reading the September 24th Coffee News I encountered the ground-breaking Japanese invention of the Nemuri Tie, meaning pillow tie, launched by KTM Co..

This tie targets the “hard-working business people who want to take a quick nap on the job” as more professionals spend longer hours at the office. It can be worn, and then inflated when one needs to catch some Zzzs. Though this tie does solve a need to society, albeit for a very particular niche of people, I begin to wonder how effective these trivial inventions are as a marketing ploy of differentiation against competitors.

Is the value of innovation dwindling in the eyes of consumers due to an excess of inventions?

A name – a loving title bestowed from the start of something. It may be precious and meaningful to you, but could that revered name become a liability to future success? Apparently so.

In the article “Positioning – As Popularized by Al Ries and Jack Trout”, it is revealed that “Even a person’s name impacts his or her success in life.” Though this article was written for marketing ones’ business or company and its brand, it also discloses that even the names of individuals can affect the perception others have of them, which can affect attaining their future goals. The article mentioned how “one study showed that on average, schoolteachers grade essays written by children with names like David and Michael a full letter grade higher than those written by children with names like Hubert and Elmer.”

Living in the ever expanding city of Vancouver, BC, Canada, where diversity is, ironically, becoming a norm, and multiculturalism an integrated part of society, the possibility of what I would call “optimal names” rouses my curiosity. I must ask myself, amongst the many eclectic names I have encountered, “is my name a no no?”