The Rise and Success of Starbucks

Although there are several specialized coffee players in the market today, one cannot overlook the magnitude of success and grandeur that Starbucks has achieved over the past many years. Its fast-growing coffee house along with tea and sandwich restaurant chain now makes it a dazzling investment idea. More than just coffee The company’s founder and CEO, Howard Schultz, has been successful in creating Starbucks into something that we didn’t really know we needed until we had it. He has meticulously crafted a brand for the company that adds a psychological value to its offerings. Thereby, when you buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks, you buy an experience.

Fortune Magazine has ranked them as one of “The Best 100 Companies to Work For” in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2008 (Starbucks, 2008). The Starbucks Experience provides consumers and the general public a direct line a of business communication. From friendly baristas to press releases from CEO Howard Schultz, Starbucks keeps its “partners” informed. The structure of Starbucks business communication is exceptional. Rather you are in their store buying a Caramel Frappuccino®, visiting their website or watching one of their advertisements on television; as the consumer, the message is loud and clear.

On their website, individuals are encouraged to express their experiences with Starbucks history, and the company strives to “personally” join in the discussions. • Smart Partnerships – Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to create strategic partnerships that demonstrate the fact that another way to grow your business is to partner smart. Over the years, the Starbucks Corporation has greatly increased sales just by using this strategy. • Innovation – Through the years, the Starbucks Coffee Company has been known to think up creative and innovative ideas to add to their products or services. They’ve added different flavors to their coffee, more food on their menu, and even became one of the firsts to offer internet capability in their stores.

Diversify Starbucks’ product offerings to include music CDs, coffee making equipment, mugs, and accessories, as well as develop new coffee related products through partnership agreements with other food and beverage manufacturers Starbucks’ Mission Statement Establish Starbucks as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while we grow. The following six guiding principles will help us measure the appropriateness of our decisions: • Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity. • Embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business. • Apply the highest standards of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee. • Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all of the time.

Star Bucks Problem Statement Howard Shultz and the senior management at Starbucks have to decide how to react to the opportunities that are being made available because of their rapid growth. The decision for a strategic growth plan has to be made in the near future. This will prove to be key for Starbucks reaching their long-term goal of becoming the most recognized and respected brand of coffee in the world. Situation Analysis Starbucks is currently the industry leader in specialty coffee. They purchased more high quality coffee beans than anyone else in the world and keep in good standings with the producers to ensure they get the best beans.

By remaining true to core competency and a laser like focus effort towards quality; Starbucks has managed to analyze, adapt and create brand loyalty to their particular market and remained the top competitor throughout the coffee industry. Americans in general enjoy a good, hot cup of coffee to start their day. In any given business, seeing a torrid cup of coffee in a cup from Starbucks is not uncommon. Starbucks is one of the most popular coffee franchises in the world with locations in 62 countries. Starbucks has been around since the year 1971where they started off as a coffee bean roaster and retailer.

The once small coffee house in Seattle, Washington has now turned into the most prominent coffee company in the world. Some people would say a trip to Starbucks is a treat, others it has become a daily ritual. It was able to grow into such a successful company because of the experience they made for each customer that walked through their doors. Offering a variety of high quality coffees to people all over the world and giving them the home away from home atmosphere. By staying true to their company mission statement, “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time”, they were able to stand out more then any other company, and ultimately reach success.

Year over year, Starbucks has been able to increase their revenues. No matter how the economy is doing, Starbucks has efficiently managed its cost structure by adapting and diversifying its product line-up allowing for increased profitability. Starbucks Coffee (2014) mission statement is “Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.” Starbucks values go beyond serving a cup of coffee to customers. Starbucks values go to the lengths of providing the highest quality of coffee; improving the lives of people who walk through the door; treating employees as partners; making sure shareholders receive incentives; providing a place for customer to escape the stress of life and enjoy a day with family and friends, and to be the most recognized and largest coffee retailers worldwide. According to Starbucks Coffee (2014), “Starbucks is fully accountable to get each of these elements right so that Starbucks-and everyone it touches-can endure and thrive.” Strategic planning is defined as "an organization's process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resour... ... middle of paper ... ...ell known saying.

The Ethical Foundations of Starbucks and Humana Executive Summary This paper examines the ethical foundations of two companies operating in very different markets. Starbucks’ is a chain of coffeehouses specializing in gourmet coffee lines. Starbucks is based on sound ethical principals permeated through the central core of its business operations. The result of several probes leads to a conclusion that Starbucks does business in a profitable and morally sound manner. Humana Inc. is a large Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) with operations that place it third among the top players in the field.

Starbucks have done great achievements, through which customers were provided affordable price of coffee, with an excellent quality and friendly environment. They intended to prove for the customer that their main goal is customer’s satisfaction that has been ethically and responsibly achieved. Starbucks, in their annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, notes “customers