Starbucks and the Schultz Email

The Schultz email to C-level employees at Starbucks sparked a great deal of interest among Starbucks watchers, and since Starbucks is one of the most interesting (and successful) marketers of recent memory, it piqued the interest of marketers as well. John Moore (a former Starbucks marketer) had a series of postings in his blog, Brand Autopsy , that related to the email. It culminated in a Change This! Manifesto made up of his and reader input.

Ultimately I think the question still remains: when a unique, interesting company seeks massive growth they run the risk of becoming a slave to the street (if they are publicly owned) or at least their own ambition (if they are not). Is it possible to remain unique and interesting when attempting growth on the scale that Starbucks has? Do streamlining of operations and pursuit of growth opportunities stand directly at odds with the uniqueness that made the growth possible in the first place? How many huge companies make products, goods or services, that are truly interesting and different?

Certainly there are alot of factors that play into that tension, but Starbucks' experience is a cautionary tale for companies that build a business on a carefully crafted product or experience: grow, and change, at your own peril. Perhaps Starbucks is ahead of the curve and can right the ship before financial results catch up with the deterioration of the Starbucks experience, but maybe recent financial results are a sign of things to come.