Jessica Le

It has become quite common to see a Starbucks within the same block in some major cities. Starbucks is a pop cultural icon and it is much more than just the coffee itself. Beyond those venti triple shot, soy, sugar-free, caramel macchiatos, Starbucks has become a part of lifestyle branding. One can easily brew his or her own coffee at home or walk in to any coffee shop to buy a medium cup of coffee for only $1-2. Some of the customized drinks at Starbucks can reach up to $4-6. It has its own image of trendiness, and even its own language of “tall, grande, venti, and trenta” instead of the typical “small, medium, large, and extra-large.”

Starbucks is well-liked, well-known, targets a general wide audience, and somewhat belongs to the people, deeming it popular. People instantly know what the iconic Starbucks logo symbolizes and it generates certain attributes like the ambience of a warm coffee shop, upbeat music playing on the speakers, comfortable upholstered couches, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Their website states, “We believe a coffeehouse should be a welcoming, inviting and familiar place for people to connect, so we design our stores to reflect the unique character of the neighborhoods they serve.” The style and aesthetics of the design-intensive corporation proliferates in everyday life as people go shopping in the mall, Target, or Kroger and need to grab their morning coffee or mid-day boost of caffeine.

There is a sense of community and global responsibility since Starbucks affiliated with organizations like Create Jobs for USA, American Red Cross, Fair Trade, Global Green USA, and the Starbucks Foundation supports programs that contribute to the community. Their corporation is tied in with conscientiousness for the community, recycling, conservation, and fair trade. The concept of a simple cup of coffee has been transformed into so much more with the proliferation of Starbucks stores worldwide.