Onward by Howard Schultz

These are my notes from Onward by Howard Schultz. Each one contains a core idea from the book that stood out. The goal of writing my notes this way is that each could be it's own independent idea with the need for the specific context within the book.

Layers of Brand Texture

A well-built brand is textured. There is layers to great brands that elicit emotional responses from consumers. An aura. A form of spirit. Something subtle that forms because the brand has been payed into. A brand is built by the accumulation of these intangibles. They are noticed (even if it’s subconsciously) that causes a brand to become intrinsically personal. Although it doesn’t maximise profits or revenue people develop a deep relationship with it because of the layers of texture a brand contains.

The Starbucks Sensory Experience

Starbucks built its brand by using the most powerful non-verbal signal aroma. Their stores exuded a rich aroma of freshly ground coffee, A smell that transported customers to Costa Rica or Africa when they walked in. The company prohibited any at all cost. They banned smoking. Asked employees not to wear perfume or cologne. They even removed food items because it changed the smell. On top of all this they invested money in new coffee machines, Closer, their baristas to open air thus expanding the performance baristas put on. Finally bringing it home and cementing the brand in people's mind with the taste of coffee.

Give New Life to Ordinary

Your craft may be ordinary, but it's an art to you. Infuse emotion and meaning into the parts most people will never recognize. Set lofty goals. Starbucks was started to inspire the human spirit. They just serve a cup of coffee. Great craftsmanship, and a strong brand, are marked by taking the ordinary — coffee, shoes, cars — and giving it a new life. You tell this story over and over again without words. A story of the transformation from ordinary to extraordinary. It's what great entrepreneurs do. Before Starbucks came along coffee was inhaled for it's caffeine jolt. Howard Schultz saw something special in it. Starbucks's exposed people to it's magic. Born in exotic places with tremendous care to capture the rich, complex flavors coffee got a new life as something to be savored. A belief that what your create can fulfill that goal, means it has the potential to touch others' lives with ordinary because it has already touched yours in extraordinary ways. That is what breeds the new life.

Turn Into a Tastemaker

In the early 2000s, Starbucks extended their brand beyond coffee. They were making ripples in entertainment. It started by selling CDs compiled with music they played in their stores – expanding out to a kiosks packed with customers. They produced an album with Concord Records. Ray Charles's album, Genius Loves Company, won 8 Grammy Awards in 2005 and Album of the Year. In the United States 1 of every 4 CDs sold was at a Starbucks. They sold books, creating best sellers and putting unknown authors on the map. Being a tastemaker amplifies your distribution. It helps you set the culture. People look to you to discover new forms of entertainment.

The Third Place

Your environment is made up of a few important places. Home is our primary place. It’s the first place where you connect with others. You spend the most time here. Work is your second place. An equal (or greater) amount of time is spent in the office. The "third place" is necessary. A social yet personal environment between your house and job. A place where you can connect with others. A place where you can reconnect with yourself. For some this is a coffee shop or a local bar. Having a third place is important for your well-being.

Reading Suggestions

These books were mentioned in Onward:

1. The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore
2. The Starbucks Experience by Joseph A. Michelli
3. The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack
4. Good to Great by Jim Collins
5. Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz‍
6. Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard