by Jack Burke - Jack@HighVelocityCommunications.com
Starbucks, the world’s largest coffeehouse chain, has spent nearly 40 years building its brand. Now it’s going stealth.
The Seattle-based company is dropping the Starbucks name on three Seattle-area stores. Instead of Starbucks, the remodeled stores will bear the names of their neighborhood.
One of the outlets, named 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea, features live music performances, poetry readings and sales of alcohol as well as hot drinks.
Starbucks’ logo will be absent, with bags of the company’s coffee and other products rebranded with the 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea name.
It’s the latest public relations move by Starbucks, which has been hit hard by the economic downturn and by lower-priced competitors like McDonald’s.
During its fiscal third quarter, Starbucks began a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign meant to take on lower-priced rivals. The ads began running May 3.
In June, Starbucks added new baked goods and cut artificial flavors and ingredients from its food.
Dropping the Starbucks name has gotten mixed reviews from industry analysts. Some say it gives Starbucks a chance to start fresh with its image. Coffee products may seem to be a non-controversial product, but Starbucks has generated a lot of animus for its ubiquity and some of its business practices. There’s even an IHateStarbucks.com website. The company itself keeps a “rumor response” area on its website to shoot down the latest Internet anti-Starbucks frenzy.
