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| Me and Coffee |
Coffee has been the drink of choice around
the world since the 9th century according to Robert Linder (2010) of
the Oregon Culinary Institute. It’s
grown and cultivated in more than 70 countries around the world. It has affected countries politics and
religion for centuries around the world, from Turkey to Germany to America. According to Linder, worldwide more than 400
billion cups of coffee are drank each and every year. The first coffee house opened in Turkey in
1554 according to Linder. Just less then
500 years later, one company has taken the simple business formula of a corner
coffee shop and created a world juggernaut of a company. Starbucks has moved from its humble
beginnings, to in 2006 it reported to have 12,000 stores in total, which
outside of the U.S., 36 countries had 4,000 of the locations. Starbucks globalization has not been without
it growing pains of bringing American coffee consumption in a culture war
around the world.
During
the ongoing conflict between Lebanon and Israel, Starbucks was targeted for an
Anti-War protests by Arabs in the region, according to Daniel Workman (2006) of
the Suite101.com website. Complaints
were made that the coffee giant was contributing funds to both the Israeli
government and the Israeli Defense Force or IDF. Even though Starbucks denied these rumors
they never denied that they had been contributing money to Israeli
charities. With growing concern of
possible terrorist attacks, unlike others carried out in Israel, Starbucks
elected to shutter each and every one of its stores in Israel. This was one of Starbucks major loses in the
American Coffee war overseas. The
violation of what the Arabs in the region perceived of their values had server
loses. Even though Starbucks was not
aiding Lebanon’s enemy, the Israel government or military forces, they were
able to influence others into believing so. This would be a informal norm, one that the
Lebanon’s would assume that Starbucks should have known before investing in
Israel during the conflict. The Arabs
for the violation of their unwritten social norm then sanctioned
Starbucks. Starbucks possibly could have
consulted Middle Eastern experts before their venture into the area.
The
next battlefield in the Starbucks culture war would lie in France. Workman describes that in France, a country
that has a rich and traditional café culture of their own, upset the older
French with the American Coffee culture Starbucks brought to their doorsteps. Caroline Wyatt (2004) of the BBC reports that
Starbucks invasion of the modern birthplace of the café society was one which
Starbucks marketing won over the younger French coffee consumers. Using exotic curiosities like caramel
coffee. The other concern in France
according to Wyatt is the fear that Starbucks will force out the family owned
cafes even in France. The dominant
ideology of the American Coffee culture is a true and viable threat to the rich
coffee heritage that French possesses.
France is not a country with coffee drinkers belonging to a subculture
but one of which coffee and tea drinking is completely interwoven into their
culture. Starbucks possibly has no
concern for this loss of the French self.
They have shown that in American by beating out and running small coffee
business out customers. The French Café
is possibly a French mores value, one of which that could be deemed very
important to the French people. The
French coffee drinking could even be considered a folkway value one of which
without the French people would be without what they consider the proper way to
prepare, present and to drink coffee.
China will possibly be Starbucks biggest
challenge to date. China, with a population of more than 1 billion people is
the largest single country population Starbucks will move into. Workmen
describes that China is historically a country of tea drinkers. Starbucks key to success will be China’s
growing middle class. Venkatraman of
Sawyer Business School at Suffolk University and Nelson (2008) of the School of
Management at Simmons College, describe the middle class as the “New
China”. They say that the “New China” is
made up of the young and upwardly mobile Chinese consumers. Venkatraman and Nelson state that Starbucks
through their business plan has successfully branded a high-end brand that
makes a emotional connection with the “New China”. This was fine example of how Starbucks has
learned better strategies in the coffee culture war. They have shown fine study into the Chinese
Norms and changing norms. China is changing, along with their change into
capitalism, and interest into other cultures.
Starbucks has made some business bloopers in
their drive for international coffee domination. They have shown failure to think out at first
of possible results into investments. At
the same time they have not given up and have not turned away from
challenges. Like Workman relates the
giant company to a giant sports star, Ty Cobb.
Ty Cobb may have struck out more times at bat but never gave up and
earned one of the highest batting averages of .366 careers. Starbucks continues to introduce a full range
of products in 25 countries worldwide and 11 other countries with retail
beverage sales. Starbucks will possibly
influence other countries now that they have pledge to become more
eco-friendly. Starbucks changing and
developing social awareness should be a lead other companies should follow when
they begin to venture internationally.
References
Linder, R.
(2010, November 15, 2010) Coffee-Panacea
or Poison? Retrieved December 5, 2010, from oregonculinaryinstitute.blogspot.com,
http://www.oregonculinaryinstitute.blogspot.com/
Venkatraman, M., Nelson, T. (2008)
From Servicescape to Consumptionscape: A
Photo-Elicitation Study of Starbucks in the New China. Retrieved
December 5, 2010, from https://simmons.edu/som/docs/ATT00969.pdf
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