(Though I wouldn't consider eating at McDonald's "smart," I would consider this ad campaign "genius.")Is Starbucks finally seeing the error of its ways? Well, not exactly. After lukewarm receptions to its Pike Place roast, instant coffee, and new line of health-conscious food, Starbucks is embarking on a more extreme strategy to confront the decrease in foot traffic it has been experiencing as of late (and subsequent store closings and layoffs): According to a Seattle Times article, the Beyoncé of coffee chains is reinventing some of its stores, marketing itself under a new name and feel:
The ubiquitous coffee-shop giant is dropping the household name from its 15th Avenue East store on Capitol Hill, a shop that was slated to close at one point last year but is being remodeled in Starbucks' new rustic, eco-friendly style.
It will open next week, the first of at least three remodeled Seattle-area stores that will bear the names of their neighborhoods rather than the 16,000-store chain to which they belong.
The new names are meant to give the stores "a community personality"...In the spirit of a traditional coffeehouse, it will serve wine and beer, host live music and poetry readings and sell espresso from a manual machine rather than the automated type found in most Starbucks stores.
Hm, attempting to capture that cozy feel of the locally owned independent coffee shops it had nearly driven to extinction. Oh, the irony.
Well, I'm glad Starbucks is finally recognizing the value of uniqueness and diversity, even if it was only driven to this out of financial concern. But you know what else will help them in the long run? Good coffee. And reasonable prices.
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