Starbucks, brand assassination and brand suicide
Filed under: Shopping
A devilish tool of guerilla marketers is brand assassination. The idea is to associate a competitor's brand with something or someone consumers consider vile; examples might be photoshopping a picture of Osama bin Laden drinking a Miler Lite to distribute virally, or paying Mike Tyson to compliment a competitor's women's spa, or sending Gary Glitter a free wardrobe of a competitor's suits. Starbucks competitors, however, haven't had to resort to such measures, because Starbucks has done the work for them, by committing brand suicide.
As my colleague Sarah Gilbert wrote earlier today, the Buck has decided that its path back to riches will be paved with instant coffee. The company that turned a commodity into a luxury item, that made the coffee house ubiquitous in our daily lives, is blithely tossing its brand into the scorched, bitter pot by associating its name with the most reviled coffee product on the market.
Imagine Mercedes-Benz marketing a line of logoed dumpsters. Chanel licensing No. 5 for scenting laundry detergent. Julia Child putting her name on frozen tater tots. The Pope endorsing Zig-Zag rolling papers.
This is the type of action that causes consumers to back away, suddenly suspicious that they've been played as rubes. Was this cup of coffee, they'll wonder, brewed or merely stirred? And what next? A Starbucks brand of powdered coffee bleach? How low can Starbucks go, before it reaches the grounds at the bottom of the pot?
Suicide by instant coffee. At least it'll be quick.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-06-2009 @ 3:29PM
mtdewgrl said...
I think Starbucks offering their coffee at an affordable price is one the best things the can do for their company. Maybe instant coffee has a negative stigma attached to it, but why not a company synonymous with great tasting, expensive coffee be the company to break down the barriers to those attitudes? Changing consumer attitudes and views about brands is what we advertisers love to do.
I admit, at first I thought, 'eww instant coffee.' But the taste says it all! It is absolutely delicious and saves me money! Starbucks was the first coffee retailer to indentify that America had no great tasting or quality coffee, thus Starbucks was born introducing an environment that was conducive to consumer social engagement while drinking great tasting-have it your way-coffee.
So here they are again identifying what consumers want again-in this economy and age of instant gratification-great tasting coffee at a LOWER price that can be made anywhere, anytime. They are paving the path of quality coffee again, but this time in the instant form. Americans love to remake and remodel things, from movies, to wardrobes, to houses, to ourselves! Isn't it time another classic be reinvented, but finally be done right?
PS: Why would Mercedes Benz have a line of dumpsters. A dumpster is obviously not a car. And Chanel No. 5 is obviously not laundry detergent. But if Chanel No.5 reinvented the body spray (body spray to me is something you buy at Bath and Body Works or Walmart NOT Chanel) into something luxurious, quality and at a lower price point, than their perfume is, maybe they would grab a whole new line of consumers. Maybe the young professional crowd who have great disposable incomes, want designer, but aren’t ready to wear the serious Chanel perfume, nor want to pay the price. Oh wait, I believe they did that already… It’s called Eau de Toilette.
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