Starbucks logo: Sayonara coffee, hello Asia
While some US consumers have turned their noses up at Starbucks’ new logo—some have planned protests—marketing researchers say it may be the jolt the brand needs as the coffee company expands into Asian markets. Starbucks dropped both its name and the word “coffee” from its 40-year-old logo as the Seattle-based coffee chain prepares to triple its locations in China from about 400 to 1,500.
The redesign will likely generate more brand loyalty among new customers in countries such as China, India, Taiwan, and Singapore, says Vikas Mittal, a marketing professor at Rice University, all of which are strong emerging markets and have consumers who tend to be culturally collectivist and interdependent. Removing the lettering gives the logo a more rounded appearance.
“Research in aesthetics shows that interdependent cultures prefer rounded shapes as they represent harmony, which is consistent with an interdependent view of the world,” says Mittal.
Full story at Futurity.
Photo credit: Starbucks.com
