Image problem? Lose the big name
Download this article as a PDF
So Starbucks, one of the most instantly recognisable names on the high street, is to refurbish three of their US coffee shops as ‘unbranded’ individual coffee bars, named after the local neighbourhoods and designed to rekindle a community feel.
While there have been some howls of indignation about stealth coffee shops, the media attention surrounding the new opening makes the idea of subterfuge seem a bit unlikely. An attempt to test market a new concept seems more plausible - for Starbucks, once a shining star that took us all to new expectations of our caffeine fix, is looking tired and jaded and frayed around the arms of its comfy sofas. The idea of getting away from the big bland, reinventing the original ‘third place’ and rekindling some authenticity is a noble one.
The first of the new coffee shops, the 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea will sell wine and beer as well as coffee, a more sophisticated food offering, limited edition coffees not available in large enough quantities for all stores, and use the old manual expresso machines. It will also offer live music and poetry readings.
But will it work? Well, Starbucks does have the advantage that in the same way that the devil has all the best tunes, Starbucks has all the best locations.
And there’s no denying that more of us are looking for the local, the unique and the authentic. The ‘always know what you’re going to get’ experience that was so attractive when local cafe coffee was frequently dire, has given way to a need to discover the new and off-the-beaten track.
Certainly, trying out a new approach in single outlets can have an energising effect on a tired masterbrand. Look at fashion and sportswear and apply similar thinking. Levis were seen as dull 10 years ago, then they opened Cinch in Soho as an experimental shop and started doing interesting things there which had a strong, positive influence on the main brand too. Adidas did the same thing through Yohji Yamamoto and Stella McCartney.
But for a major multi-national to succeed in delivering that authenticity will take a very new mindset – being prepared to value diversity over consistency, to go for local product sourcing where local exists, to embrace the unique character that comes from employing local people with a local spirit. None of which delivers economy of scale and high margins.
But if it brings a spark of difference to increasingly bland high streets, then let’s applaud it and welcome the new local café over here.
