Coffee City

Melissa Allison follows the world's biggest coffee-shop chain and other Seattle caffeine purveyors.

March 20, 2009 4:47 PM

As Starbucks brand slips, barista creates marketing magic

MELISSA ALLISON/THE SEATTLE TIMES

Gabrielle Evans, Via marketing machine

Starbucks' brand power slipped last year, putting it in 14th place nationally, down from 10th in 2007, according to CoreBrand's Brand Power Rankings.

The drop was no surprise, CoreBrand CEO James Gregory told Marketing Daily. "They're reinventing themselves after a long period of substantial growth," he said, "and there's been a lot of negative news about store closings, layoffs and so forth."

CEO Howard Schultz hinted this week that, after a history of little advertising, Starbucks is ready to take on the competition and "the myth of the $4 coffee."

While we await details, barista Gabrielle Evans at the Starbucks drive-through on Westlake Avenue has become a one-woman marketing campaign for Via, Starbucks' new instant coffee.

She serves lattes bedecked in a necklace and earrings made from Via packets to help her store win a Via sales contest. A four-year Starbucks employee, she's in college now but dreams of someday working for corporate, Evans said.

Given its history of not advertising and the financial crunch it's feeling, how big do you think Starbucks will go with a new marketing campaign?

Many thanks to former Seattle Times reporter Karen Gaudette for finding Gabrielle, who's drumming up business for Via at this store:

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