When people think of coffee, they think of Starbucks. The Starbucks Corporation has existed since 1971, when the first store opened in Seattle, and continued its phenomenon in the 2000s with more than 15,000 locations worldwide. (Starbucks Corporation, 2009) In 2006, “Starbucks ranked fourth among the 'World's Most Influential Brands' according to Brandchannel.com” (Starbucks Coffee Company, 2008). The physical appearance of the Starbucks brand can be attributed to its mermaid logo hanging outside its stores and printed on all of its takeout cups, coffee mugs, bags of coffee beans, and other merchandise they sell. The mermaid logo has evolved over the years and is currently represented by a green circle with the words STARBUCKS COFFEE and a cropped image of the "more attractive stylized mermaid" (Deadprogrammer's Café, 2005) than that depicted in the original Starbucks logo of the time. 1971. This logo forms an important part of Starbuck's advertising as they do not participate in conventional advertising techniques such as television commercials and billboards. Howard Schultz, president of Starbucks, believes that experience trumps advertising and that “the in-store experience defined the brand” (Holmes, 2001). People go to Starbucks because they know they're going to get an exceptional cup of coffee or other beverage, high-quality customer service, and a welcoming atmosphere. Meghan, I really enjoyed your article on Starbucks. I was very surprised to learn that it has been around since the 1970s. It is very clear that “brand awareness” (Kotler and Keller, 2009) has been a very effective marketing strategy for this company. Surprisingly, it was never through massive TV commercials like Dunkin Donuts but through other forms of advertising (verbal, etc.) that really made this brand popular. The Starbuck executive also understood the importance of social media in helping maintain brand identity by noticing the link between “social engagement and financial performance” (Rubel, 2009). Starbuck's has also marketed this brand very well because everyone has heard of or seen a store in their neighborhood. I admit I'm not a die-hard loyalist who buys a cup of coffee daily because it's way too expensive..