Did anyone catch what just came out of the world of Starbucks? If you didn’t, you can catch it here. In short, Starbucks is dropping its name from its logo! Wow, I guess they think a lot of themselves? Rarely, I’ll repeat, RARELY, is a company’s brand strong enough to pull off something like this. There are a few universal brands that come to mind that have become their mark and their name is secondary. Two from the top of my head are Nike and McDonald’s. They have spent billions over the years to pound this into our heads. Starbucks, who just started advertising a few years ago, thinks their brand has achieved Nike-like status, I guess. I think I need to drive to Seattle and remind those folks that: A) they haven’t invested near enough time with the world to be instantly recognizable; B) while their loyal fans may know the brand without their name, what about the MILLIONS who have no idea who they are; and C) REALLY?
Starbucks claims the reason they are doing this is they want to extend their company into product lines they don’t currently offer and it will be better suited for expansion. REALLY? If a new brand is so important to introduce a new line of products that you don’t want the primary brand associated with it then CREATE A NEW BRAND…. if you are confused as to how, then go talk to Procter Gamble who does it with 1000s of product brands everyday while still having a strong parent brand. Your brand is your most important face of your company. Your logo is a big part of your brand. Think hard about it.
