Mission, Vision, Values

Serving as vicarious representations of Italian espresso houses, the foray of Starbucks into the Seattle market in 1986 captured "ethnic influences shaping the American palate" (Brennan, 2000, p. 1). As an upstart roasting house in Pike Place Market in 1971, the brand began with a vision of establishing its coffees as the world's best and most flavorful throughout North America. Under the direction of its initial president, Howard Schultz, Starbucks initiated ease of entry into markets through cups of coffee tying in precise brands that would accentuate an experience of positivity in each of its units.

With the slowing of an economy proving a stalwart for many an organization and the expansion into new territories throughout the world, Starbucks is in need of a revised strategy to realize its end state potential by increasing revenues and reinforcing its commitment to its partners and shareholders. Because interaction with foreign markets is forthright an objective of a global economy, brand perception must be modified to fit into respective cultures to creating fluidity consistent of a free market. The current juggernaut of capturing new audiences is a hurdle as the once niche coffeehouse experience has morphed into a watered down sterile version of its predecessor occupied by laggards, who use its amenities to no benefit of Starbucks' bottom line.

Creating an appropriate atmosphere conducive of a third home is significant as it changes varying perceptions and invites increased levels of Starbucks purchase from its faltering customer pool. The changes induced could differentiate its brand to become inclusive of a new audience seeking comparable pricing to attributes. This makeover could accentuate quality consistent with fair-trade coffees from third world countries, thus its target market would justify paying a higher price for a comparable experience. Differentiating certain current stores to a boutique ambiance would raise the bar putting the firm in direct competition of European espresso houses in appeal.

As a company, Starbucks banks on its original mission of creating a place that serves only the finest coffees. Under the revised leadership of Howard Schultz, hired back in 2008 following the firing of its most recent CEO, Starbucks reassessed its mission by modifying the statement. Currently the mission statement reads, "Our mission: to inspire and nurture the human spirit - one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time" (Starbucks, 2011, p. 1). Unique to its mission are a set of guiding principles, which stress importance for the elements of the Starbucks brand.

Because economic strife has lessened revenues for the Starbucks brand, the company should modify its mission statement to read, "Inspiring personalized experience creates inclusivity for all peoples through java sharing." At Starbucks, the evolution of coffee as a common denominator unites people. Within each unit an experience unfolds because of the people who identify as partners and represent the brand. Because of their attention to detail delivered through hospitable interaction a rapport develops. Extensions of the brand and choice of piggyback partnerships solidify its relationship between the brand and the communities it hones in on. Membership is of interest to all individuals. By including people in the mission statement Starbucks reinforces its commitment to the community, thus opening new avenues for revenue.

The vision of Starbucks is to "Share great coffee with our friends and help to make the world a little better" (Starbucks, 2011, n.d.). As a deliverable to the desired end state, Starbucks' current vision complements the suggested modified version of the mission statement because it attempts to elevate perception of fair trade coffees. "Social responsibility is a critical consideration for a company's strategic decision-makers since the mission statement must express how the company intends to contribute