HOW STARBUCKS STRAYED; case study: Automatic espresso machines, day-old food and plastic chairs? No wonder the chain lost its brand experience.(News)(Case study)

Advertising Age, March, 2007 by MACARTHUR, KATE

Byline: KATE MACARTHUR

kmacarthur@crain.com

In the wake of the Starbucks "Memo Shot Round the World'' from Chairman Howard Shultz on the looming commoditization of its brand, we asked the experts how they would restore the mythical Starbucks Experience.

Here's what Joseph Michelli, author of "The Starbucks Experience: Five Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary,'' had to say: "They can make sure the sensory experience at Starbucks is rich'' by bringing back coffee aromas with fresh grinding and reinforcing the notion of affordable luxury by making sure knowledgeable baristas French-press coffee. It also means nixing plastic chairs and bringing back the living-room feel. "It is all the...