Seattle’s Best Sells Out?
So you’re Seattle’s Best and Starbuck’s wants you to re-brand. Why re-brand? Well because being everything to everyone is much better than targeting a market and differentiating…right?
Now that Seattle’s Best is expanding into Subway’s and Burger King’s it’s time to change a good brand to accommodate all those lower end types that visit those restaurants…that’s the thinking right?
Check out the email I got from Mandi Armond at Cohn & Wolfe, a subsidary of WPP:
Hi Scott ,
Seattle’s Best Coffee, sub-brand of Starbucks, announced recently a new logo, as part of an overall effort to repurpose the brand. Recent expansions by Seattle’s Best into partnerships with brands such as Subway and Burger King, show that parent company is eager to use Seattle’s image as a more affordable coffee to their advantage during the recession.
I would like to offer an executive from Landor Associates, one of the world’s leading branding and design consultancies for expert commentary on the Starbucks/Seattle’s Best brand, as well as the new logo and marketing efforts. The firm’s executive staff is highly knowledgeable about Starbucks’ brand strength and has previously commented for other outlets, as well as on their own corporate blog, about the introduction of VIA, the controversy over the legality of carrying a gun in the stores, and most recently Starbucks tea sales to China.
Please find below my signature, a sample of some of their previous commentary and Landor corporate blogs on the topic.
If you were planning any stories about Seattle’s Best, Starbucks, or the new logo, please let me know and I can organize an interview for you with one of the Landor executives.
Cheers,
Mandi Armond for Landor Associates
415-365-8553
cohn&wolfe
mandi armond | cohn&wolfe | assistant account executive | 415.365.8553 | mandi.armond@cohnwolfe.com
Here are my thoughts, you may not like them:
“The parent company is eager to use Seattle’s image as a more affordable coffee to their advantage during the recession.”
Brilliant, I change my identity all the time in a recession. When things are slow I lower my prices and work for clients that I ordinarily wouldn’t work with. Hell I HAVE to keep the money coming in. When the recessions over I’ll just change it back. Presto.
So what’s the new logo look like? Keep in mind the new target audience is much wider now and they are more “affordable”:
Wow, what a change. Honestly it’s worse than clip-art. It does say “cheap” though, I must admit.
Apparently this new identity was developed by “Creature Agency”.
Isn’t there a point where you have to say, wait a minute here! You want to do what? They have completely bastardized Seattle’s Best Brand to a commodity?
I guess if you follow the rule for recessions you can’t blame Creature Agency for taking the project, after all the money flow needs to happen. But I can tell you one firm who wouldn’t have….mine.
What say you kahunas? Agree or disagree?
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May 20th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Hi Scott,
It’s been a while since I posted on your blog but this one just seems too easy.
I think the move will back fire. Why don’t they just differentiate like the Banana Republic, Gab, Old Navy brands? Have a holding company with multiple brands.
Why are they tarnishing their brand with low end associations?
The logo looks like a baby with one tooth.
David
May 21st, 2010 at 12:23 am
That looks like a gas station sign. A CHEAP gas station sign. Yuk.
It seems to me that they might do better with a sort of “luxury on a budget” spin. You know, sort of go with the idea that you don’t have to break the bank to get the coffee you love, or something like that.
May 21st, 2010 at 9:37 am
This has “Tropicana” written all over it. Horrible, horrible idea.
May 22nd, 2010 at 2:47 pm
Does it surprise you given Starbuck’s lack of identity?
July 27th, 2010 at 11:59 am
Lamentably, ill-considered work.
The brand designers have completely annihilated the well-known and respected brand’s equity in going mainstream. Mass market need not equal ugly or cheap. You can be value without being tacky, obvious or lazy.
Time and again, branders forget that art and design can be used not only to communicate but, to inspire and motivate. While burger King may not be an up market brand, it’s customers too deserve a little beauty. Think how much tastier a half pound slab of beef with coffee would taste if both were beautifully packaged. Good design need not be bourgeois. Think Coca Cola and the billions they spend on fabulous advertising campaigns during the winter holidays… There is no more mass market brand that has used design to create a wonderful fantasy alternate reality despite the millions of cavities it causes.
August 3rd, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Terrible decision. You made me laugh. As you said, though…it does make them look cheap!