Starbucks is launching a new logo this year, dropping its name from its branding and simply showing the mermaid currently printed on cups and signage. We doubt this is going to cause a lot of confusion or hurt sales, but some say the change could pose some threats.
Dropping the nam
e, says one consultant in this article, is a "serious marketing mistake." And a university study reports that people who have a strong commitment to a particular brand (of which Starbucks has many) are the ones most against change.
Well, a proposed logo change didn't work for Gap. Last year the apparel chain's logo change caused so much customer strife that the retailer pulled its new logo.
But in the case of Starbucks, the change kind of makes sense. Taking the "coffee" verbiage out of the logo could be a commitment to the company's interest in branching out into other areas. It is testing locations that sell wine and beer. It is also making headway into the music business.
How do you think customers will react? Will they get testy about the logo change or will it likely have no impact on the company's mega-loyal following.
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