The Starbucks Story

About the Book

Coffee is a commodity. You can get a cup at any café, sandwich bar or restaurant anywhere. So how did Starbucks manage to reinvent coffee as a whole new experience, and create a hugely successful brand in the process?

The Starbucks Story tells the brand’s story from its origins in a Seattle fish market to its growing global presence today. This is a story that has unfolded quickly - at least in terms of conventional business development. Starbucks is a phenomenon. Unknown 15 years ago, it now ranks among the 100 most valuable brands in the world. It has become the quintessential brand of the modern age, built around the creation of an experience that can be consistently reproduced across the world.

Originally published in 2004 as 'My Sister's A Barista: How they made Starbucks a home away from home', this new 2012 edition has been updated to bring the brand up to date.

About the Author

John Simmons is a writer and consultant on brands. His books We, Me, Them and It (2000), The Invisible Grail (2003) and Dark Angels (2004) argue that the importance of language, storytelling and verbal identity in branding has long been neglected. He also co-edited The Economist Guide to Brands and Branding (2003), and 26 Letters: Illuminating the Alphabet (2004).

In his previous role as a director of Interbrand, an international brand consultancy, John worked with organizations as diverse as Orange, Air Products and the National Theatre. Always keen to promote better writing in business, he co-founded the writers' group 26, and is a regular speaker at conferences and events. He is also director of training at The Writer, where he helps to develop people and organizations through writing.