Starbucks: The Organization

 Starbucks 
History, Mission and Values


Starbucks is a coffee company founded in 1971 in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market. The mission of Starbucks is to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time. To accomplish this mission Starbucks:

• Looks to provide the finest quality coffee
• Looks to be fully engaged with their customers and provide a welcoming environment
• Looks to be a force of positive action in the community.

Starbucks definitely has these values working for them. They have a strong reputation for corporate social responsibility and for providing high quality coffee in a comforting environment. Starbucks is one of the most profitable coffee companies in the world.

Starbucks' vision originated from the CEO Howard Schultz, who took a visit to Italy and became captivated with Italian coffee bars and the romance of the coffee experience. His experience inspired a vision to bring the Italian coffeehouse tradition back to the United States. A place for conversation and a sense of community. A third place between work and home. Starbucks has been successful in living out their vision because its success and popularity has turned the store into a sort of social hub where people meet, do homework, and socialize while enjoying free Starbucks wireless.

Besides prizing themselves on high quality coffee, Starbucks also sells teas, smoothies, pastries, yogurt, sandwiches, wraps, fruits, merchandise and brewing equipment. They have been able to branch out into a variety of products because they have built and established trust with their customers by providing them with high quality products. The company has been so successful that they have been able to branch out into college campuses and grocery stores.

Target Audience

Adults: Starbucks' main target audience is adults ranging from ages 25-40. Their decor and advertising appeal mostly to professional men and women in this demographic, who have a relatively high income. This group accounts for 49% of Starbucks' total business.

Young Adults: The company also appeals to young adults and college students through its free wireless, ice cream, smoothies and frappacino beverages, all which tend to be a tool for social connection. Starbucks also appeals to this demographic by staying current with social media. Young adults account for 40% of Starbucks sales.

Kids: Starbucks appeals to kids through its kid size drinks often referred to as "babyccinos", which a drinks like steamed milk and hot chocolate. The pastries and baked goods also appeal to this demographics. Kids account for 2% of Starbucks' Sales.