The Starbucks brandscape and glocalization of global consumer culture

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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, 2004).

3. 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 and Consumers' (Anticorporate) Experiences of Glocalization, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 31

How Global Brands Compete

2. Literature review

The literature integrated in the article is relatively limited, with most of the analysis being based on direct observations and opinions. Nevertheless, some literary points include the forces of globalization and their impact for markets, but also the brands and symbols in the global culture.

3. Methodology

The methodology employed in the study of global brands is represented by the triangulation between qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. At the level of the qualitative method, emphasis was placed on the study of the qualitative findings previously retrieved by the Research Institute/USA. The quantitative research was based on data collection through the survey method.

4. Key findings

The findings revealed by Holt, Quelch and Taylor showed that brands "have become a lingua franca for consumers all over the world." In terms of the elements which increase the popularity of brands, these primarily refer to the quality of the brand, but also the myth of the brand and the social responsibility efforts of the brand.

5. Contributions

The current article brings contributions for both theoreticians as well as practitioners by helping them better understand the market ripeness to brand strategies.

Reference:

Holt, D.B., Quelch, J.A., Taylor, E.L., 2004, How Global Brands Compete, Harvard Business Review