Category / business

Starbucks rolls out new look for the future

I like Starbucks. Honestly, I know that likely puts me into one of two camps and may affect (adversely or otherwise) your opinion of me. But I dig the concept of the third place and I think they are one of the few places that seem to both get it and embrace it.

They have also made good strides in recent years to better understand their customers and improve both their communications and their offerings to meet the needs & wants of those customers. I believe this has much to do with the return of Howard Schultz and is a testament that having a marketer at the helm can be a boost to the overall organization.

So yesterday I got an email from Howard. In it, he thanked me for being a customer and told me that they were making some subtle changes to the Siren that has been a symbol of the company for the past 40 years. He says:

“Our new brand expression reflects our evolving freedom and flexibility to serve and connect with our customers in meaningful ways while continuing to represent the integrity, quality and consistency of the Starbucks Experience.”

Which, I think, is a testament that sometimes a marketer drinks way too much of their own Kool-aid. Or, in this case, coffee.

Still, I think the new look is fresh and certainly seems decidedly more modern than the previous version. It also drops the “Starbucks Coffee” designation, much like Apple dropped “Computer” from their name when it became apparent they were much more than a computer company. Take a look and let me know what you think:

New identity for Starbucks

This image shows the evolution of the Starbucks brand identity throughout the life of the company

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In my most recent Indianapolis Business Journal article, I took on the task of helping all of you with new iPads figure out which apps were worth having. The initial list is based on a great deal of painstaking research. (Actually, we just sat around the office discussing it, which we do at least once a week.) I compiled the list in a rough outline of “most-used” and “favorite,” and intentionally avoided some of the business applications (primarily due to space constraints.) In the end, the list contained more than 50 apps, so I feel pretty confident you’ll find something you like in the mix.

See our ~50 top iPad apps for 2011 »

Good Design Makes Understanding Complex Data Simple

In the world we now live in, there’s no shortage of information. The problem is making sense of all the information we have. Everywhere you turn, you face datasets, ranging from simply complex to seriously complex. And the problem isn’t just the amount of information, it’s the kind as well.

Consider for a moment the complexity of things like worldwide military spending, media buzz, or what we might learn about human behavior from Facebook status updates… Is it possible to better understand this data by transforming it into simple, beautiful diagrams? David McCandless thinks so, and he believes that it allows him to tease out unseen patterns and connections.

Spend a few minutes watching this video and I think you’ll agree. Fascinating stuff…

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File Under: Who Cares?

adidas Golf 360-Hole PlayoffI received an email today from Adidas Golf telling me about the exciting plans for “THE WORLD’S FIRST 360 HOLE PLAYOFF” featuring two guys I’ve never heard of playing golf for 50 days across nine continents with the ultimate prize hanging in the balance: a job at Adidas Golf.

My first thought: “Who cares?” And even though they were imploring me to follow it online, the more I considered it, the less I felt the whole thing was relevant to me or anyone I know.

Then I noticed that “throughout the entire challenge” (ed. note: playing golf for a month and a half is a ‘challenge’? It sounds like a vacation. But I digress…) Anyway, “throughout the entire challenge, the athletes will put adidas Golf apparel and footwear in play, testing our industry-leading performance technologies in a range of conditions…” On second thought, aside from their mothers, who could possibly care?

Just in case the hook isn’t set yet, you should know that the “two golfers will also compete in a series of competitions off the course.” I’m guessing beer pong. Maybe foosball.

I would be amazed– utterly amazed– if they get enough people following this ‘event’ to call it a success. Can’t wait to hear the results.

Steve Jobs tells “how to live before you die”

In June 2005, Steve Jobs delivered the commencement address at Stanford. It was a talk where he promised to tell “only three stories about my life. No big deal. Just three stories…” In these three stories, he encompasses formative moments that helped make him what he is and he outlines several notions these recent graduates would do well to remember. They include:

Find what you love.

“You’ve got to find what you love. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Live each day as if it were your last.

“When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: ‘If you live each day as if it was you’re last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.’ It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I’ve looked in the mirror every day and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer is “no” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something. Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything, all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure, these things all fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.”

Stay hungry. Stay foolish.

“No one wants to die. And yet, death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It’s Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.”

“Right now, the new is you. But someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it’s quite true. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And, most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”

It’s a very good speech, and I recommend you watch it: