Starbucks Re-Branding: Good or Bad Decision?
The American coffee brand that we all love to hate, and hate to love, has been in the headlines quite a bit recently. Just a few weeks ago, Starbucks announced a new logo that will eliminate the word “Starbucks” from their current version. They’ve also revealed their plans to give some of their locations more of a “community personality,” by removing the Starbucks brand name from these establishments, beginning to also sell alcohol, and introducing poetry readings and live music. It’s clear that the company is trying to bring a “European coffeehouse” feel to their establishments in North America. However, this week they have announced their new coffee cup size: “Trenta,” in a move that appears to be coming out of left field, given their recent changes.
Illustrated in the image above from the National Post, the new cup appears to be larger than the average human stomach. Introducing this new “Trenta” cup could simply a step backward for the brand. The company’s recent moves signal the brand’s interest in becoming well-cultured, and blending seamlessly into local communities. However, I’m struggling to see how the introduction of this new cup runs parallel to this goal. Instead, this 916 ml cup will become the “Big Gulp” of coffee. And just to put this into perspective, the average bottle of wine is 750 ml.
In other cultures around the world, coffee is served strong and in small servings. Take a trip to Italy, and you’ll see men and women standing around a bar (or cafe) sipping cups of espresso. The thought of a giant cup of coffee just simply would never resonate with Europeans. Why do we, as Americans, need to always go bigger and bigger? This move by Starbucks simply is not consistent with the brand’s goal of bringing a “European” feel to their North American establishments, and should not be welcomed in a nation where 75% of the population is already overweight or obese.
The “Trenta” cup is slated to debut in establishments on May 3rd. However, the decision to introduce this serving size could hurt the brand’s image moving forward.
Cheers,
– Joe from HSM
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