You mean Starbucks isn’t a franchise? How much Does Brand Really Matter?

If you love the rich taste of Starbuck’s French Roast or Pike Place coffee, the flavor of their signaturepastries or the friendly and helpful service that you always seem to be able to get those smiling andgreen apron donning college students behind the counter, then perhaps you’d fancy investing in yourown Starbucks franchise in El Paso. But if you do more than dream – if you actually research thispossibility – you’ll quickly learn that it is actually an impossibility. Because Starbucks is not a franchise.Their stores remained owned by their corporate office or they have licensing agreements with othercorporations such as Marriott Host International.

But before you get too disappointed at the news that you cannot own your own Starbucks, consider thereasons you wanted to own one in the first place. Quality products? Great customer service? Niceatmosphere? A certain intangible quality? The fact you can have the same product in the sameatmosphere in any of their stores across Texas or the country? All of the above? If those are yourreasons, you’ve really fallen in love with a little thing known as “brand”. And while, Starbucks certainlyhas established a great a recognizable brand, that doesn’t mean you can’t establish your own uniquebrand in another business that uses the franchise model.

Why brands matter – why they don’t

If you were in an unfamiliar area of El Paso and were looking for a good cup of coffee, it wouldn’t be toodifficult to find a Starbucks – and know exactly what to expect. Starbucks has done an excellent job ofbuilding its brand – it’s instantly recognizable. And in the past, that fact alone would have made itdifficult to compete with.

Today however, smartphones with constant access to the internet have helped to level the playing field.Say instead of just looking around for a Starbucks, you visited a site like TripAdvisor to find the bestcoffee joint in El Paso, you might make a different choice based on the abundance of online reviews.Social media shares and blog comments can also boost a relatively unknown brand. Even reality TVshows like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, are making the smaller establishments more and more popular.

Ok, so how do I build my brand?

Unfortunately, there is no EASY button when it comes to doing this. Building a company that customerslike and trust takes time and a lot of hard work. Once you have a great product or service, you need towork on creating an environment that customers will want to patronize. This is accomplished boththrough the physical environment and the kind of customer service they receive when they walkthrough your door.

And then, there is the marketing aspect. To build a brand, it’s important to use consistent messagingboth in tone and content. Traditional media, social media, and in-store interactions are all tools to helpyou accomplish this.

Making it your own

When you invest in a franchise in El Paso, chances are that a lot of the real branding work is alreadybeen done for you and you only need to keep your activities and communications consistent with thatbrand. That’s why you should closely examine a company’s brand if it is a consumer-focused businessbefore you invest. Does it match well with your own skills, experience, and values? If it does, it will bemuch easy to build a business that is truly your own.