In a brief discussion about whether a logo is physical or emotional, today, we will focus our efforts on Starbucks. As a customer, I can actually remember exactly when I tasted Starbucks coffee for the first time. I was in my early 30s and visiting the Ritz Carlton hotel in Jacksonville, Florida. Believe it or not, that was my first taste of coffee and the beginning of a long love relationship, not only with coffee, but also with Starbucks. As I write this blog, I am sipping Starbucks brew.
How Does a Corporate Logo Reach The Emotions of The Customer?
In my opinion, in order for a corporate logo to reach the emotional stage in the mind of the customer, the brand and logo must reach the heart of the person. That person must also be passionate about the brand, be a loyal follower, an advocate and a promoter.
In order to be passionate, it’s imperative to touch the brand a great deal. In other words, with Starbucks, customers must be in the store, sipping coffee frequently. If you’re like me, showing up 3-4 times a week is common. When I am not in the local Starbucks store, I prefer to drink my coffee in my favorite Starbucks porcelain coffee mug with “Miami” written on the side. I am guilty of buying a few of these. That’s not it, Starbucks knows customers carry smartphones and want simplicity in their lives. You can walk into a store, click the Starbucks app icon and purchase with your phone and even redeem points for a free coffee. These are just a few things that Starbucks does to play with my emotions and probably tens-of-millions of other people’s emotions too. Do you think we have reached the emotional stage yet? Hmm.
When this happens, and a customer actually sees and senses the “Starbucks experience,” the game is over. In other words, once I visited the store, sat in the chairs, listened to the music, talked to the barista, saw my name on my personal cup, smelled the coffee…I was hooked. Now, whenever I see their logo I yelp in excitement on the inside, and sometimes on the outside too. I may not need or want coffee at all, but the logo, which warms my heart, brings out an emotion in me that runs deep.
A logo is not just a physical entity of a brand; it transcends physicality, time, space, my senses and even emotion.
Starbucks has transcended the physical to the emotional for me, and I don’t see my java-juiced lifestyle ever turning away from it.
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Scott MacFarland
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