Starbucks: Your "Partner"

Yesterday in Lafayette I stopped at Starbucks. Not really paying attention to much, I grabbed a bottle of water and The NY Times.

On my way out, I noticed a sign in the window that said: "Everyone is a PARTNER at Starbucks."

The notion that Starbucks was trying to articulate didn't hit me for a few minutes. As a drove down Mt. Diablo it finally rang home to me. This was brilliant.

The mega-billion dollar company that has been heralded as the eptome of capitalism, while still being depicted as the poster boy of corporate greed was trying to change its image. This time from the inside-out.

A good friend of mine, John Davis (brandnewview.blogspot.com), has spoken eloquenty about the need for branding to be done within the company first, before being exported outside to clients.

In essence, Starbucks was trying to foster an ethos within the company that every team member is in fact a "partner" in the firm. The hope and goal is that Starbucks will produce a culture of long-lasting employees who exude a passion for their business, and most importantly proudly advocate the Starbucks brand.