Starbucks – the lady's out

January 19, 2011 in Business Start-Up with 7 Comments

Starbucks just revealed a new logo – one without the name Starbucks Coffee.  It seems to be a benchmark of success when a company can drop its name from a logo that still distinctly identifies it.  Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz says the new logo gives the company the freedom and flexibility to think beyond just coffee.  The new logos will hit stores starting this March.

Others have certainly preceded Starbucks.  Can you identify these?

What do you have representing your business in a look, sound, smell or service that separates it from all contenders?  If it takes 10 minutes or three paragraphs to describe what your business is all about, you may have a branding problem.

So how did you do?  Isn’t it amazing how repetition can burn an image in our minds that immediately conjures up what that company represents?  When I switched our company name from The Business Source to 48Days as the name of our company it exploded our success.  The Business Source is about as generic as possible.  48Days has become synonymous with a set period of time for making new decisions and then finding – or creating – work you love.  

I’m not planning on removing the 48Days – not sure the eagle would fly by itself.  Maybe in a future version – we’ll see.

Related posts:

  • http://www.ashleyarticles.blogspot.com Ashley

    Starbucks is doing a lot of different marketing strategies lately. I’ve noticed that their updated menu in the drive-through no longer gives you the 200 drink options it used to–it’s very strategic marketing–minimize the options to be manageable–around 20 choices, all set up/dressed up to make them yummy. It takes the guesswork out for a coffee novice and conveniently directs them to a popular (and pricier than a plain cup’a joe) coffee. Genius.

    • http://www.48days.com Dan Miller

      Ashley – to be able to get $4.00 for a cup of colored water must be great marketing.

  • Tom

    It may just be my personal take on things but I imagine your distinctive logo being an eagle taking off out of a box or a cubicle.

    Thanks for the podcast! It suits me more than the book did.

    • http://www.48days.com Dan Miller

      Tom – that’s exactly the image we want to give with the logo – thanks.

  • http://www.thebootstrapcoach.com Josh Bulloc

    Tom,

    I love the idea.

    Josh Bulloc
    Kansas City, MO
    How can I help?

  • http://www.blackcattips.com/blog Kyle

    When I looked at the logo I always thought those were the Starbucks Lady’s hands. I was confused as to why she had only 2 fingers. Then I saw their old logo and realized those were her two tails. Still a bit odd but I do love the hot drink.

    P.s. Maybe she lost her fingers due to a hot coffee accident.

  • Maridon

    I won’t know how I will feel about the logo until I see it. However,is it wise to “think beyond just coffee”? I enjoy the coffee and coffee bar atmosphere, the VIA product is a breakthrough in instant coffees, but their pastries are overpriced and dry, I don’t recall being impressed with any other items they sell in the store, what else do they want to sell anyway? I hope they don’t lose their focus. (I am probably not their target market though)

    I like the 48 days logo, could do without the eagle, I would concentrate more on the number 48, which is what drew my attention to your website to begin with, as you said, a set number of days, etc. No offense intended, just my opinion.

    Thank you for being an encourager!

Switch to our mobile site

Close
Remind Me Later
Remove Ad Permanently