Starbucks Changed Its Strategy. I’m Living Proof It’s Working.

How Brian Niccol’s Back to Starbucks strategy demonstrates the power of understanding customers, creating experiences and changing behavior.

My local Starbucks has become my morning office. I grab my coffee, open my laptop and spend time thinking strategically, writing, developing ideas and getting a jump on the day.

It’s become part of my routine. And that got me thinking about what Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has been doing since taking over in September 2024.

Because I’m living proof that his strategy is working.

Getting Back to What Made Starbucks Different

When Niccol became CEO, Starbucks had lost some of what made the brand special.

Mobile ordering, drive-thrus and operational efficiency had become major priorities. Convenient? Absolutely. But the coffeehouse experience that helped build Starbucks into a global powerhouse had taken a back seat.

Niccol recognized the opportunity.

His “Back to Starbucks” strategy emphasized comfortable seating, inviting spaces, personal connections and giving customers reasons to stay rather than grab their coffee and leave.

Starbucks brought back ceramic mugs, condiment bars and other touches that reinforced the coffeehouse experience. The company also invested in employees and customer service.

The strategy went beyond selling coffee. It focused on why people choose Starbucks in the first place.

That’s strategic marketing.

Understanding the Why Behind Customer Behavior

I’ve spent decades helping organizations understand their customers, employees, prospects and referral sources.

One thing I’ve learned is that what people say they want and what actually motivates their behavior aren’t always the same.

That’s why we systematically gather insights at MASSolutions.

We talk to customers. We listen to employees. We study competitors. We analyze data. We look for patterns that reveal opportunities others might miss.

And we ask questions that go deeper than customer satisfaction.

Why do customers choose you?

What makes them come back?

What frustrates them?

What do they value that you might be overlooking?

What would cause them to change their behavior?

Those answers can transform a marketing strategy.

For Starbucks, convenience matters. Speed matters. Quality matters. But there’s another dimension to the customer experience.

People want somewhere comfortable to meet, think, work, read or simply enjoy a break from their day.

Niccol’s strategy recognizes the value of that experience.

And experience influences behavior.

Strategy Means More Than Marketing Communications

Here’s where organizations sometimes miss the bigger picture.

They think marketing means advertising, social media, websites, promotions and content.

Those are tactics. Important tactics, but tactics nonetheless.

Strategic marketing starts with understanding your audiences and determining how to create value that motivates them to act.

Then you align your messaging, customer experience, operations and people around that strategy.

Consider what Starbucks is doing.

The strategy influences store design, seating, employee interactions, service standards and the overall atmosphere.

Advertising can communicate the promise. The customer experience has to deliver it.

That’s a critical distinction.

You can create a compelling brand story, but if the experience contradicts that story, customers notice. And they respond accordingly.

Your Employees Deliver the Brand Experience

Another important part of Niccol’s approach involves Starbucks employees. The strategy includes investing in staffing, service and giving baristas more opportunities to connect with customers.That matters.

I’ve long emphasized the importance of Business-to-Employee Marketing, or B2E Marketing, as a driver of Recruiting, Retention and Results.

Employees need to understand the organization’s direction, believe in its purpose and recognize how their behaviors influence the customer experience because your brand comes to life through your people.

That’s true whether you’re selling coffee, providing healthcare, manufacturing products or delivering professional services.

Great Marketing Changes Behavior

Here’s what I find most interesting about my Starbucks experience.

I didn’t decide to support Brian Niccol’s strategy. I simply found myself spending more time at Starbucks because the experience works for me. My behavior changed.

And that’s ultimately what strategic marketing should accomplish.

At MASSolutions, our approach combines insights with experience, expertise and instincts to develop solutions and stories that reach, connect and engage audiences.

The goal is to change mindsets and behaviors that drive growth.

More customers. Stronger relationships. Increased revenue. Better recruiting and retention.

Starbucks offers a powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest growth opportunities come from rediscovering what customers valued about your brand in the first place.

Understand your customers. Create an experience that matters. Align your people and messaging. Give customers reasons to choose you again and again.

And measure whether their behavior changes.

I’ll be thinking about that tomorrow morning.

From my Starbucks office.

No Bullsh!t.