I hate to go back to the topic of Starbucks... but that's a lie, I love this topic.
Tonight when deciding where to study, I weighed my options. Home, (which was a joke because I don't get anything accomplished there), Cafe Baul (which has wifi and coffee drinks, but sometimes sketchy music), or Starbucks (which has wifi and yummy coffee drinks, an ambience I enjoy, and a view of San Martin as well as the ocean). The choice was clear. Baul was closer and maybe a little cheaper, but Starbucks, although farther and a bit pricier, feels like home.
I think it's incredible what this company has done, which I have said before. But to have a brand that is so internationally known is amazing. One thing I really like about the Bux is that, besides for a few minor menu changes, nothing changes from country to country. Starbucks employs the tactic of global standardization flawlessly. They have a brand so powerful that it is really its own place. When you step inside the coffee shop, you're not in the U.S. or in Chile or in Bangladesh. You're now in Starbucks world. Which is so comforting to someone who is missing the comforts of home. It's a trip back to something familiar, if you can look past whatever foreign language the people at the counter are speaking.
My point is that because of what they have accomplished, somehow Starbucks dragged my lazy self 4 extra blocks and made me pay 1 extra mil, and I don't feel cheated one bit. Sometimes when I hear of the marketing tricks used to get people (including me) in the door, I feel suckered. But Starbucks just always feels like home.
The Bux stars for you, and you have made some good observations on their global approach. That is not an easy thing to accomplish as the Chilean employees alter that feeling, mainly through their behaviour. That is not the case.
ReplyDeleteSoon you can visit your own Starbucks again. I wonder if you can detect any differences, as the environment must somehow filter through, but not into the coffee.