STARPOX: The Most Contagious

Business of the Millennium

REYES, Nicole
XII-V St. Thomas More

In our world today in which the business industry remains to be difficult to enter and
even more difficult to survive in, it is a feat for a company, an example being Starbucks, to
continue growing and rising even after the passing of decades. With this, one would lead to the
question of how exactly did they make it happen?

As an avid consumer of Starbucks, their success has always been prominent from my
perspective, but this case study gave me an even broader insight in their career’s trajectory and
the elements that make them the business they are today. One prominent keypoint is the fact
that their company has never failed to speak up and act upon their advocacy – quality and
goodness. Their company ensures quality in their drinks, physical stores, and the services they
offer. They have been able to establish a brand identity for themselves and have become a
household name, yet the name they carry also implies the high prices that their products are
placed at. But despite this, their business is talked good more than the latter.

Of course, establishing such a brand is not one that comes without reason. Starbucks
prides themselves in service, not just to their customers, but also to the community they belong
in as a whole. They start small, just within their own stores, in which their employees deviate
from the status of “workers” and are instead called as “Starbucks Partners” making them feel
more empowered and establish a stronger sense of self-confidence. They also partake in
donating to non-profit organizations for various timely advocacies, an example being
“Starbucks RED”, in which a portion of their funds go to HIV/AIDS programs in Africa. Alongside
this, they ensure that their products, specifically their coffee beans, are ethically produced and
purchased, ensuring that their farmers are treated the way they should be, which is with
respect and honesty. They also deviate from assisting people to assisting the environment as
well, in which they reduce their environmental impact through recycling and reducing the
waste they produce through methods such as their reusable tumblers and their post-consumer
byproduct tissue.

All in all, one could not deny that Starbucks has landed themselves a spot at the top of
the hierarchy when it comes to business talk, but it is important to note that their success did
not come from nothing. They not only exist for themselves and for their company, but also for
the people that they serve, giving back to those that gave to them in the first place. To
conclude, it is nice to tie back to the vision that they began with and have never abandoned
throughout their years of existence in the industry -- "To inspire and nurture the human spirit --
one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time."