6 Principles of Brilliant Branding from Starbucks–part 2
Friday, May 1st, 2009 - by Becky Sheetz-RunkleThis is part two of the paradox of branding from Starbucks’ John Moore’s appearance last week. Moore is the brand’s former marketing strategist. Read part one for the first three principles of brilliant branding.
4. “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department,” said David Packard, co-founder of Hewlett-Packard Company. Every employee is part of your marketing department. One great person equals three good ones. Moore cited The Container Store, as a living example of this. Their mantra is to pay their great people two to three times more than they would make in a similar position.
Astonished employees, he postulated, will astonish customers.
5. If the market grows, the business must grow. Marginal companies get squeezed out when boon conditions abate. He asked the question, “If your business went out of business tomorrow, would anyone care?” Can you say with conviction you would dearly be missed by your employees and customers? If so, you’re doing something right.
Starbucks closed 1,000 stores. Customers went online and petitioned the closing of many stores. The customers cared.
6. Be influenced by “the paradox of growth.”
The smaller you are, the bigger you must look. The bigger you are, the smaller you must get. For those big guys, he cautioned, remember what it took to get where you are.
He concluded by sharing that Starbucks never set out to be well branded. It just happened. If you build a business that’s profitable, makes employees and customers happy, then you don’t need to worry about branding. Branding will take care of itself.
