Brand Identity- Starbucks

Amy's post on the importance of building a brand and staying true to it got me to think further about brand identity and how one can stay true to their initial mission in light of constant changing markets and economic conditions. Because of competition I think it is important to constantly innovate and remain ahead of the curve. But then the question remains how do you keep your brand identity strong if you continually need to adapt.

When struggling with this question, I remembered a recent television special on Starbucks discussing how Starbucks has had to adapt to changes in the market place to remain competitive yet has decided to use a type of "dual strategy" so it could retains its brand identity even while adapting its business strategy.

I was able to find an article (link below) that perfectly summarized the main issues from the television special. As the writer explains iconic brands, such as Starbucks, should "strategically manage the dual process of continuous innovation on the one hand and reinforce their guiding strategic brand." The article did an excellent job answering my original questions regarding how one should balance innovation and adaptation with maintaining the original goals and brand identity of the organization. Starbucks is a perfect example of this as they have remained a innovator and market leader while undergoing changes to their strategic business plan.

http://www.venturerepublic.com/resources/Starbucks_-_Challenges_to_iconic_brands.asp