I got to take a behind-the-scenes tour at Starbucks Headquarters with their Vice President in charge of e-commerce. That’s us in front of the original Starbucks sign. How cool is that?
I learned some very practical sales application practices for Bramble Berry but what I was most excited about was Starbucks emphasis on communication, internal brand messaging and the atmosphere of quiet collaboration.
Every meeting at Starbucks starts with a coffee tasting. It’s a way of bringing everyone together, grounding everyone and educating team members about product lines.
Starbucks also had their values and mission visible, everywhere. It was inspiring to see how well they’ve integrated their values into their practices – their product design, their marketing messaging and their on-site amenities. Seeing how well they publicized their values inside their company gave me some ideas on how we can integrate our values better into Bramble Berry’s daily routine.
I also got the scoop about some of the uber cool, limited edition, small batch coffees coming to Starbucks in the next few quarters and they sound delicious. By far my favorite part was the Clover. It is basically the next big thing for the coffee connoisseur. There are a handful of the Clover machines in Seattle for you to try. It’s a single-cup brew cofee machine that brews limited edition, rare coffee, one cup at a time. It is so specialized that there’s a Clover certification at Starbucks, above and beyond regular barista training. To learn more about the Clover or find a location near you that’s brewing with the Clover, click here. I can’t wait to try my next cup of Clover-brewed coffee. It was so good that I didn’t have any urge for cream or sugar – just the straight coffee. If you get a chance, try it. As for me, I’m already angling for another visit so I can get some more of that delicious Clover-brewed coffee.
