Comments on: What is the life expectancy of Via®? http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/ Pithy, quirky, quixotic, insightful idealistic, helpful musings on branding, advertising, marketing, banking, and cyber stuff. Thu, 9 Sep 2010 12:11:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Rach http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8301 Rach Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:51:31 +0000 http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8301 If you ask me (which you didn't), Starbucks needs to concern itself with it's own brand name. Up here in Seattle, what initially made Starbucks stand above the rest (and there are plenty) was its consistency. They hyper trained their employees to be efficient, welcoming, and... consistent. Their coffee, while certainly not the best, was consistent. But as Starbucks has leaped out to things like furniture and music, it's killing itself. It's losing consistency. And with this loss, it's closing stores all over. I'm not sure why Schultz hasn't made the connection. Instead, he pushes this instant line (which I admittedly have not tried) at $1 a pop!?! I'm laughing. Is it the slender packaging that is so expensive? Certainly it cannot be the name... They began the push this past spring and not many were taking the bait. If we are foolish enough to spend $4.18 for a triple grande whole milk latte in a drive thru, why wouldn't we be foolish enough to buy instant at a dollar a cup? At yet when I'm at home, I'm using the french press to make my coffee. Starbucks taught me well. But she apparently didn't learn what she was teaching. Seeing that we weren't taking the bait, Starbucks next idea was to encourage their patronage to buy the instant coffee and donate to local needy teachers. I am not kidding. And now, they're launching it nationwide? Goofballs. If you ask me (which you didn’t), Starbucks needs to concern itself with it’s own brand name.
Up here in Seattle, what initially made Starbucks stand above the rest (and there are plenty) was its consistency. They hyper trained their employees to be efficient, welcoming, and… consistent. Their coffee, while certainly not the best, was consistent. But as Starbucks has leaped out to things like furniture and music, it’s killing itself. It’s losing consistency.
And with this loss, it’s closing stores all over. I’m not sure why Schultz hasn’t made the connection.
Instead, he pushes this instant line (which I admittedly have not tried) at $1 a pop!?! I’m laughing. Is it the slender packaging that is so expensive? Certainly it cannot be the name…
They began the push this past spring and not many were taking the bait. If we are foolish enough to spend $4.18 for a triple grande whole milk latte in a drive thru, why wouldn’t we be foolish enough to buy instant at a dollar a cup? At yet when I’m at home, I’m using the french press to make my coffee. Starbucks taught me well. But she apparently didn’t learn what she was teaching.
Seeing that we weren’t taking the bait, Starbucks next idea was to encourage their patronage to buy the instant coffee and donate to local needy teachers. I am not kidding.
And now, they’re launching it nationwide? Goofballs.

]]> By: Russ Christoff http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8302 Russ Christoff Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:14:40 +0000 http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8302 Hi, As a former Nestle employee, would you happen to know what printing company produced labels for the Taster's Choice instant Coffee jars? Thanks, Russ Hi,

As a former Nestle employee, would you happen to know what printing company produced labels for the Taster’s Choice instant Coffee jars?

Thanks,

Russ

]]> By: admin http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8303 admin Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:21:55 +0000 http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8303 Nope, Russ. Sorry. It’s been a few years, and we really weren’t involved in that part of the business. Nope, Russ. Sorry. It’s been a few years, and we really weren’t involved in that part of the business.

]]> By: Meg Ried http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8305 Meg Ried Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:15:15 +0000 http://www.gibbonspeck.com/blog/2009/09/29/what-is-the-life-expectancy-of-via%c2%ae/#comment-8305 Interesting post, I especially enjoyed it being a coffee lover myself. As you mentioned, I don't see the benefit to Starbucks having instant coffee, because it is not like with this you will be served faster and in and out of Starbucks faster. I never knew those things about the french roast! Interesting post, I especially enjoyed it being a coffee lover myself. As you mentioned, I don’t see the benefit to Starbucks having instant coffee, because it is not like with this you will be served faster and in and out of Starbucks faster. I never knew those things about the french roast!

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