“ Learning, and memory process of STARBUCKS”

Kuanmanus L. 5002640356

“MK 311”

Starbucks is the brand that is ranked 91 out of top brands in the world from
business week 2006. It has the value of $3,099 Millions in 2006, $2,576 Millions in 2005, and
has the changes in value about 20%. It is also one of the most popular brand in Bangkok, and
the most popular place for people to hang out.

I chose to do the analysis about Starbucks, because it is the place that I usually go
for coffee, and meet up with friends. Interestingly Starbucks has been expanding
tremendously in Bangkok, due to the facts that the trends of today’s people lean more to the
middle class life style, and Starbucks try to offer the atmosphere of cozy, superior, fresh brew,
and foreign atmosphere which match the styles that the middle class craves for. First
Starbucks opened in Thailand in 1998 at Central Chidlom.

“Starbucks in Bangkok”
 “ Learning, and memory process of STARBUCKS”
Kuanmanus L. 5002640356

“MK 311”

“Starbucks in The US.”

Starbucks has been successful in many regions in the US, Thailand, and other
regions that it operates. Starbucks offer variety of services, and also the products. Starbucks
has it’s own coffee shop, the coffee products lines, gum, chocolate, and Etc.

Starbucks uses the learning process: by both behavioral, and cognitive theories.
Starbucks creates the brand perception of premium coffee, friendly & cozy atmosphere, and a
good place to hang out.

Let’s start first with the analysis on the Starbucks coffee stores.

“Atmosphere inside the store”

The stores are operated by the employees. The coffee is fresh made right after the
order. The stores start the learning process with the exposure of the stores that the customers
are able to see the employees make the order, smell the freshness of coffee, and hear the
sound of brewing process. The customers are allowed to customize the products to some
 “ Learning, and memory process of STARBUCKS”
Kuanmanus L. 5002640356

“MK 311”

extent (for example Decaf, low fat milk, etc). The customers get the attentions of Starbucks
from the products themselves, the look of the stores from outside, the atmosphere inside the
stores that the employees are very friendly, well trained, and the cozy furniture inside the
stores also help stimulate the attentions and eventually lead to the interpretation of rewarding
themselves by having good coffee everyday at Starbucks.

The Starbucks store itself us the behavioral theories of classical conditioning by using
coffee aroma. For instance when the customers order to coffee they will smell the coffee
aroma from the brewing process inside the stores. So every time the customers order the
coffee, they will smell the coffee aroma, or even they just walk in to meet some friends at the
stores, they will also able to smell the coffee aroma. So this coffee aroma is the unconditioned
stimulus that will stimulate the customers to crave for some coffee.

Learning from this unconditioned stimulus over and over again the customers start to
accept the conditioned stimulus, which is Starbucks stores. Every time they walk pass, or see
the green and brown Starbucks stores they will start to have the condition respond which is
craving for Starbucks coffee.

So the unconditioned stimulus of coffee aroma will be the factor that helps
unconditioned stimulus (Strarbucks stores), and lead to the conditioned respond of craving for
Starbucks coffee. Which is the positive emotion of rewarding themselves with good coffee
everyday.

Here is the example of how Starbucks stores also use the cognitive learning theory
with the Iconic Rote for the new product. The consumers need to have some extent of
knowledge about Christmas.
 “ Learning, and memory process of STARBUCKS”
Kuanmanus L. 5002640356

“MK 311”

This is from the TV. commercial that Starbucks launch in North America during
Christmas time for the special Christmas coffee drink. We can see that Starbucks use
Christmas animals as the icon of reminding the time of Christmas. In the ad these animals are
very warm and friendly, they all holding the Starbucks new drink. These animals from this ad
are the bear, and the penguin. They both offer human a cup of Starbucks Christmas drink.
This require some knowledge to interpret the ad that Christmas is the time of Holiday and Joy,
and even these animals, they decided to use the new Starbucks drink too pass the Joy and to
Pass the cheer to others.

The ad is trying to convey the stimulus discrimination, by show the new launch
product especially for Christmas that have the stimulus to differentiate the product from
regular Starbucks’s drinks. The ad basically tries to tell that the animal icons want to pass the
cheer to people with Starbucks coffee drink, and both animals and human can celebrate the
holidays together.

This is another version of this ad. It used the reindeer icon to represent Christmas
holiday, and shoeing that both deer and human can enjoy and share happiness through
Starbucks Christmas coffee.

To conclude this, Starbucks uses Iconic Rote method to link the customers prior
knowledge experiences, and emotions of Christmas to connect with the new Christmas
Products.

Next I’m going to talk about how Starbucks use the memory process to try to get
people to purchase the products.
 “ Learning, and memory process of STARBUCKS”
Kuanmanus L. 5002640356

“MK 311”

The example of product that I chose is “Starbucks double shot”. This product is
available in regular supermarkets in the US, and also in the Starbucks stores.

Customers already have the input of learning process. They have seen the products
in stores, and in the commercial. Better yet, customers are now quite familiar with Starbucks
coffee brand, and have pretty good perception about the brand. Plus most of the coffee
drinkers know what is double shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0XOogOe1Ps&feature=related This is the link of the

The ad comes with the theme of “ Bring on the day with Starbucks double shot”. It
starts with a man opens his fridge and start drinking the starbucks double shot, and suddenly
the live band appears and start singing in his living room. The live band still continue singing
and following him every steps on his way to work.

This is the lyric “Glen Glen Glen Glen , Glen’s a man who is going to work. He got
his tie, he got his ambition (when the man is walking down the street to work).…….Glen is a
man of the hour he’s the king of his queue , his status is ready to meet his rivals (waiting for
the bus), and fight for his way to the top and he knows that one day he just could be come (in
the bus) Supervisor! (get of the elevator at his working place).

After the band finish singing the song, the product comes up on the screen and
there’s a voice says “ Starbucks double shot BRING ON THE DAY”

The ad starts the memory process with encoding information of “Episodic

The ad also has the “Semantic meaning” which use the symbol to associate the
product. Because when Glen starts drinking Starbucks, the live band appears, and starts
singing encouraging song to him. From this it helps associate the double shot with the
motivation to accomplish his goal, and follow his ambition.
 “ Learning, and memory process of STARBUCKS”
Kuanmanus L. 5002640356

“MK 311”

The information from encoding process is stored in the memory by rehearsing the
ad, and spreading the activation of information, which allows the customers to shift back and
forth between the levels of meaning of the product. The information is stored in a daily term of
memory because Glen’s lifestyle is actually matches with others. The information also has
some sort of associative networks because most of the people can connect coffee with
working life. The level ad knowledge from this ad is not so high, but what this ad is trying to do
instead is trying to create the emotions of encouraging coffee that when you drink it, it will
boost up your everyday life to achieve your goal.

The information can be retrieved through memories of the customers, but it also
comes with the risk of forgetting. This kind of commercial is very risk of fotgetting, and
retroactive interference. Because when other brands, or even Starbucks launch the new
products, people might forget that Starbucks has the double shot can, and might even forget
the double shot ads.

However although Starbucks is considered as one of the most successful brand, but
todays’ Starbucks nor facing tons of copycats from all over the world. For instances;

so Starbucks needs to be aware of it’s own brand, and continue trying to keep
customer loyalties, and maintain the value in customers perception by make sure that
customers are able to develop the right perception, learning, and memories about Starbucks.

This is another interesting of another way starbucks in Thailand creates some

“MK 311”