Starbucks. Evolution of the Company's Marketing Plan

Seminar paper from the year 2010 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, , course: Marketing, language: English, abstract: Starbucks is known for the qualitative variety of its products, the exclusive and friendly environment, the helpful and very polite personnel, the information and training on the products and the participation of management in building relationships with customers. Starbucks offers more than 16 blends and types of coffee made of coffee beans Arabica, a large variety of beverages prepared instantly, teas, freshly baked pastries, chocolates, savoury delicacies, sandwiches, salads, etc. Also, at Starbucks a customer can buy coffee specialty products such as coffee machines espresso, coffee grinding machines, mugs and other items related to coffee and tea and CDs, which are original proposal gifts. Despite this wide array of products, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, in February 2007, decided to close 600 Starbucks stores. This paper examines several reasons that may be advanced for the company's decline, concluding that it would not have happened if Starbucks had stayed in their original form of combining the exclusive cafe with the friendly atmosphere and staff, and above all, good quality coffee. The paper then goes on to explore the changes that the company has made in its marketing strategy since the decline in 2007 as well as the risks and potential benefits from competition, such as best practice examples of marketing in other countries, specifically in Greece.

Born in Athens, Greece, I studied economics, agricultural policy analysis, marketing and communication with new technologies and human resources management (BSc, MSc, DProf). I am an author of more than 40 books specialized in economics, accountancy and management. I have been an MBA lecturer for 19 years and I have taught more than 800 students and seminar attendants. I have worked as a Manager at Microsoft and other IT and Telcom companies. I am a registered consultant on entrepreneurship and innovation of European Union for small and medium enterprises and certified by Chartered Institute of Marketing. An active blogger, I write about economics at mastroyanni.blogspot.com. My articles have been published at numerous magazines, newspapers and blogs. About me and my books you may read at my blog: http://mastroyanni.blogspot.gr/