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The Starbucks Brandscape and Consumers' (Anticorporate) Experiences of Glocalization
Craig Thompson and Zeynep Arsel (2004) assess a little discussed element within the business community, namely the heterogeneity between the local brands and the global brands, which often conflict within the local communities. The two authors strive to address the gap through the construct of the hegemonic brandcsape, which is then utilized to explain the popularity of Starbucks.
The review of the literature is generally centered on studies of globalization and its multitude of dimensions, including also the cultural features. They also integrate the concept and other dimensions of brands. The primary findings of the literature review are that the global brands represent international business power and they can be negatively received within the community, but the already existent studies "underestimate the hegemonic (i.e. culture-shaping) influences that global brands can exert upon local markets, consumers' tastes and consumption practices" (Thompson and Arsel,...
Methodology
The methodology employed in the completion of the study revolved around a two-year long process of data collection through the interview method. The sample was constructed primarily by the patrons of local coffee shops and the qualitative data retrieved was processed through a hermeneutic approach.
4. Key findings
Craig Thompson and Zeynep Arsel's findings are organized into two specific directions. On the one hand, at a practical level, they attest to the great power and influence of Starbucks outside its traditional borders. On the other hand, they support "the broader theoretical claim that global brands do exert a systematic influence on the cultural heterohybridization engendered by glocalization" (Thompson and Arsel, 2004).
5. Contributions
The article of the two authors generates important theoretical and practical contributions by assessing a little discussed phenomenon and also by revealing it in the context of the real life business sector.
Reference:
Thompson, C.J., Arsel, Z., 2004, The Starbucks Brandscape…
