In Sunday's news (3.04.07), I came across this Reuters headline: Starbucks steams at "Starstrucks"
Indian coffee chain. What are they steaming about? Indian entrepreneur Shahnaz Husain's plans to start a chain of coffee shops called Starstrucks.
So before all the Starbucks haters and those who dislike all large corporations riot against Starbucks Legal Department, think about this. When new owner Howard Schultz reinvented Starbucks around the Third Place Experience in the '80s, it was his goal to create a brand name that resonated with coffee drinkers around the world. He has succeeded.
In creating a recognizable brand name, it is important to protect that name from those who would co-opt it with a similar name. If Shahnaz Husain sold carpeting, Starbucks likely would ignore her. But if Starbucks doesn't defend its brand name from similarly named coffee companies, it risks losing that legal protection, as Brand names are only legally protected when they are legally defended when challenged.
And why is that important? Because Starbucks growth and success rests on the familiarity and emotional response that its name engenders. That emotional response means something, as does such names as Microsoft, GE, Boeing and WalMart. Some of that meaning engenders good feelings, some of it bad. But in every case, the response to a brand name defines the brand, as brand is about people's perceptions, not in self-serving and bad advertising or marketing messages that separate the brand from people's experiences with the company, the products, the services, and all its human touchpoints.
In Starbucks case, the perception conjures up emotions and ideas around:
- Third Place Experience, not the home, not the office, but a place to get away.
- Baristas who remember your drink, your name and act like your the only customer in line (or not).
- One cup of coffee, one person at a time.
- Rich roasted coffees melded with lighter blends.
- Stores and menu boards that are similar, whether one is in NYC or in Hawaii.
- Green aprons with the mermaid logo.
- The mermaid logo.
If the brand perception becomes muddled by like names of coffee companies, the brand suffers. Therefore, Starbucks and every other business invested in their brand image, has no choice but to protect their brand name.
