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Transcript of Starbucks- Brand Research Report
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This study looks at the brand personality of Starbucks coffee company. The research is
meant to further investigate the theory that Starbucks has become a feminized brand. An online
survey was conducted in which a feminized brand personality scale and a masculine brand
personality scale were used to gauge participants perceptions of the femininity of the brand.
Participants were also asked to rate the coolness of Starbucks. It was found that females
perceive Starbucks to be cooler than males do. Starbucks also tested to be more feminine than
the other brands tested based on the brand personality scales.
INTRODUCTION:
Based on our situation analysis of Starbucks, we wanted to determine whether the
Starbucks brand is becoming feminized. Upon researching the company, we found that the brand
is more popular among women63% of women have preference for Starbucks as opposed to
32% of men (Simmons, 2011). We originally believed that certain aspects of Starbucks
branding strategies appeal to more feminine values, making the brand more attractive to female
consumers. The difference in popularity between genders is detrimental to Starbucks because
men are deterred from purchasing their products; excluding a number of potential consumers. By
understanding the issues behind this problem, Starbucks will be able to sustain, if not increase,
its number of male consumers, leading to an increase in brand popularity and revenue. Research
has helped us to better understand this situation by showing that Starbucks, while not completely
feminized, is more feminine than other brands. We have also discovered that females are more
likely to consider Starbucks a cool brand.
METHODOLOGY:
Our goal was to understand the following research question: Is the Starbucks brand
feminized? We hypothesized that Starbucks has more feminine attributes, causing a significant
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gap between number of female and male consumers. The methodology employed for answering
this question was a survey involving masculine brand personality (MBP) and feminine brand
personality (FBP) scales, as used in Bianca Grohmanns 2009 study, Gender Dimensions of
Brand Personality. The MBP/FBP scale is two-dimensional and measures masculine and
feminine brand personality traits. The brand personality measure consists of 12 characteristics
with six characteristics per dimension (Handbook of Marketing Scales, 2011). Grohmanns
study was broken down into seven sub-studies; creating the scale itself, ensuring validity, and
testing generalizability, among other things. Our research reflected methods used in Study 3:
Predicting Brand Personality of Existing Brands. In this study, a set of brands were rated using
the MBP/FBP scale. Two hundred eighty undergraduate students rated one brand of soap,
fragrance, deodorant, and soft drink using the 12-item MBP/FBP scale (Grohmann, 2009).
The survey we implemented mimicked Grohmanns Study 3, involving twelve Likert-
type items pertaining to Starbucks, using the MBP/FBP scale descriptors tested successfully by
Grohmann. The feminine descriptors used were sensitive, expresses tender feelings,
graceful, sweet, tender, and fragile. The masculine descriptors included adventurous,
sturdy, aggressive, dominant, brave, and daring. As in Grohmanns study,
undergraduate participants rated the descriptiveness of a given descriptor, as it pertains to
Starbucks, using a nine point scale, from not at all descriptive to extremely descriptive. We
also included identical questions about other large corporations in order to see how Starbucks
was gendered compared to other brands. Using a random number generator found on
Random.org, we selected three of the top 100 brands as defined by Brandz Top 100 Most
Valuable Global Brands. The additional brands incorporated into our survey in addition to
Starbucks were Home Depot, McDonalds, and Blackberry.
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The survey was broken up into sections by brandStarbucks first, then McDonalds,
then Home Depot, and then Blackberry. A random number generator determined the order in
which the 12 descriptors would be listed, and this order was kept consistent across each of the
four brand sections.
In this portion of the survey, the independent variable was gender, allowing us to
determine if males and females viewed Starbucks differently. The dependent variable was the
perceived gender of brand personality.
A later addition to our survey involved participants ranking different brands on a scale of
coolness, in order to evaluate if males and females access brands as cool in the same way.
We selected 10 logos using a random selection method like before. The list included H&M,
Nintendo, Blackberry, Facebook, Home-Depot, McDonalds, Mercedes-Benz, Pampers, Red Bull,
and Starbucks. Likert-like scales were designed to test the variables of cool for each, asking
How cool do you find the following brands? using an image of each brands logo in the
question. Participants then rated each brand on a scale of 1 to 9; 1 being not at all cool, and 9
being very cool. This scale was not replicated on one previously found. Again, a random
number generator was used to determine the order that the ten brands would be listed. This
second section assessing brand coolness was implemented to provide additional research in the
case that the results of the first portion of the survey did not hold true to our hypothesis. For this
section of the survey, the independent variable was gender, and the dependent variable was the
perceived coolness of each brand tested.
RESULTS:
In Grohmanns original study, 280 undergraduate students were sampled. In order to
obtain generalizability and stability, we needed a relatively large sample as well. Our goal was to
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have at least 200 undergraduate participantsassuming each of our five group members would
be able to recruit 40 subjects. Our sample was obtained using convenience sampling. Each of us
sent out a link to our survey using Facebook and Twitter. We ended up with 140 participants
(N=140) who fully completed the survey; however the sample was largely female74% of the
respondents were female, and only 26% male.
Part 1Is Starbucks a feminized brand?
Our first research question was Is Starbucks as a brand becoming feminized? Using a
paired samples t-test, we compared the mean the masculinity score to the mean of the femininity
score for each brand tested. Each of the means was then divided by 6 (number of masculine and
feminine descriptors) to obtain a single masculine and feminine rating for each brand on a 9
point scale.
Pair 1 (Starbucks): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare attitudes toward
the Starbucks brand in masculinity and femininity. A significant difference was found
between Starbucks masculinity (M = 28.21, SD = 11.00) and Starbucks femininity (M =
26.19, SD = 10.59); t(139) = 2.21, p < 0.05. Starbucks average masculinity score (after
dividing by 6 for each descriptor) was 4.70 on the 9 point scale. Starbucks average
femininity score was 4.36 on the 9 point scale.
Pair 2 (McDonalds): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare attitudes toward
the McDonalds brand in masculinity and femininity. A significant difference was found
between McDonalds masculinity (M = 27.41, SD = 10.43) and McDonalds femininity
(M = 16.31, SD = 9.65); t(139) = 13.14, p < 0.05. McDonalds average masculinity score
was 4.57 on the 9 point scale. McDonalds average femininity score was 2.72 on the 9
point scale.
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Pair 3 (Home Depot): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare attitudes
toward the Home Depot brand in masculinity and femininity. A significant difference
was found between Home Depots masculinity (M = 29.00, SD = 11.77) and Home
Depots femininity (M = 15.99, SD = 10.07); t(139) = 11.61, p < 0.05. Home Depots
average masculinity score was 4.83 on the 9 point scale. Home Depots femininity score
was 2.66 on the 9 point scale.
Pair 4 (Blackberry): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare attitudes toward
the Blackberry brand in masculinity and femininity. A significant difference was found
between Blackberrys masculinity (M = 25.79, SD = 11.81) and Blackberrys femininity
(M = 18.78, SD = 9.74); t(139) = 8.79, p < 0.05. Blackberrys masculinity score was 4.30
on the 9 point scale. Blackberrys femininity score was 3.13 on the 9 point scale.
Paired Samples Statistics
Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Starbucks Masculinity Score 28.2143 140 10.99953 .92963Pair 1
starbucks Feminity score 26.1857 140 10.59292 .89526mcdonaldsmasculinityScore 27.4071 140 10.43024 .88152Pair 2
mcdonalds femininity Score 16.3071 140 9.64693 .81531
homedepot masculinity
Score
28.9929 140 11.77150 .99487Pair 3
homedepot feminine 15.9857 140 10.07453 .85145
blackberry masculinity 25.7929 140 11.81055 .99817Pair 4
blackberry femininity 18.7786 140 9.74278 .82342
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A second series of paired-samples t-tests was conducted to compare Starbucks
femininity score to the femininity scores of the other 3 brands tested:
Pair 1 (Starbucks & McDonalds): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare
degree of femininity between Starbucks and McDonalds. A significant difference was
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found between Starbucks femininity (M = 26.19, SD = 10.59) and McDonalds
femininity (M = 16.31, SD = 9.65); t(139) = 10.41, p < 0.05.
Pair 2 (Starbucks & Home Depot): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare
degree of femininity between Starbucks and Home Depot. A significant difference was
found between Starbucks femininity (M = 26.19, SD = 10.59) and Home Depots
femininity (M = 15.99, SD = 10.07); t(139) = 10.35, p < 0.05.
Pair 3 (Starbucks & Blackberry): A paired-samples t-test was conducted to compare
degree of femininity between Starbucks and Blackberry. A significant difference was
found between Starbucks femininity (M = 26.19, SD = 10.59) and Blackberrys
femininity (M = 18.78, SD = 9.74); t(139) = 8.17, p < 0.05.
Paired Samples Statistics
Mean N Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
starbucks Feminity score 26.1857 140 10.59292 .89526Pair 1
mcdonalds femininity Score 16.3071 140 9.64693 .81531
starbucks Feminity score 26.1857 140 10.59292 .89526Pair 2
homedepot feminine 15.9857 140 10.07453 .85145
starbucks Feminity score 26.1857 140 10.59292 .89526Pair 3
blackberry femininity 18.7786 140 9.74278 .82342
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Finally, a Cronbachs Alpha test was conducted to test internal consistency and scale
reliability. The scale across all brands had a Cronbachs Alpha of = .869, proving that the scale
was definitely reliable.
Reliability Statistics
Cronbach's
Alpha N of Items
.869 8
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Part 2Is Starbucks considered cool?
The second section of the survey explored what brands people considered to be cool.
The brands that were tested were H&M, Nintendo, Blackberry, Facebook, Starbucks, Mercedes-
Benz, Home Depot, McDonalds, Pampers, and Red Bull. Coolness was measured on a scale of 1-
9, with 1 being not cool at all and 9 being very cool. Descriptive statistics were taken in
which the mean, median, and mode were studied. The brand that tested the highest in terms of
coolness was Mercedes-Benz, with a mean coolness rating of 7.48. The brand that tested the
lowest in terms of coolness was Pampers with a mean coolness rating of 2.8. Starbucks mean
coolness rating was 6.96, and has the third highest cool rating of all the companies tested.
Brand Overall Mean Coolness Rating
Mercedes-Benz 7.48
Facebook 7.10
Starbucks 6.96
H&M 6.55
Red Bull 5.82
Blackberry 5.36
Nintendo 4.97
Home Depot 4.01
McDonalds 3.55
Pampers 2.80
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An important part of the results for the coolness rating was the differences between males
and females. An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine whether there was a
significant difference between what females perceived to be cool and what men perceived to be
cool. The following table reports the results that were found:
Brand Gender N Mean Std.
Deviation
Significance
(2-tailed)
Significant or
not?
H&M Male
Female
35
104
5.71
6.83
2.136
1.760
.008 Significant
Nintendo Male
Female
35
104
5.91
4.65
2.418
2.445
.009 Significant
Blackberry Male
Female
35
104
4.771
5.558
2.340
2.1033
.065 Not
Significant
Facebook Male
Female
35
104
6.46
7.32
1.853
1.725
.013 Significant
Starbucks Male
Female
35
104
6.20
7.21
1.891
1.739
.004 Significant
Mercedes-Benz Male
Female
35
104
7.23
7.57
1.716
1.816
.335 Not
Significant
Home Depot Male
Female
35
104
4.83
3.74
2.007
1.895
.004 Significant
McDonalds Male
Female
35
104
3.69
3.50
2.298
1.911
.669 Not
Significant
Pampers Male
Female
35
104
2.63
2.86
1.767
1.913
.537 Not
Significant
Red Bull Male
Female
35
104
5.97
5.77
2.549
2.295
.662 Not
Significant
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There was a significant difference between males and females in perceived coolness of
H&M such that females (n=104, M=6.83, SD=1.76) perceived H&M to be cooler than males
(n=35, M=5.71, SD=2.14) (t(139)= 2.78, p < 0.05).
There was a significant difference between males and females in perceived coolness of
Nintendo such that males (n=35, M=5.91, SD=2.42) perceived Nintendo to be cooler than
females (n=104, M=4.65, SD=2.45) (t(139)=2.65, p < 0.05).
There was no significant difference between males (n=35, M=4.77, SD=2.34) and
females (n=35, M=5.56, SD=2.10) in perceived coolness of Blackberry (t(139)=1.86, p=0.065).
There was a significant difference between males and females in perceived coolness of
Facebook such that females (n=104, M=7.32, SD=1.73) perceived Facebook to be cooler than
males (n=35, M=6.46, SD=1.85) (t(139)=2.50, p < 0.05).
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There was a significant difference between males and females in perceived coolness of
Starbucks such that Females (n=104, M=7.21, SD=1.74) perceived Starbucks to be cooler than
males (n=35, M=6.2, SD=1.89) (t(139)=2.91, p < 0.05).
There was no significant difference between males (n=35, M=7.23, SD=1.72) and
females (n=104, M=7.57, SD=1.82) in the perceived coolness of Mercedes-Benz (t(139)=0.97,
p=0.335).
The was a significant difference between males and females in perceived coolness of
Home Depot such that males (n=35, M= 4.83, SD=2.01) perceived Home Depot to be cooler
than females (n=104, M=3.74, SD=1.9) (t(139)=2.90, p < 0.05).
There was no significant difference between males (n=35, M=3.69, SD=2.3) and females
(n=104, M=3.5, SD=1.91) in the perceived coolness of McDonalds (t(139)=0.431, p=0.669).
There was no significant difference between males (n=35, M=2.63, SD=1.77) and
females (n=104, M=2.86, SD=1.91) in the perceived coolness of Pampers (t(139)=0.62,
p=0.537).
There was no significant difference between males (n=35, M=5.97, SD=2.55) and
females (n=104, M=5.77, SD=2.3) in the perceived coolness of Red Bull (t(139)=0.438,
p=0.662).
DISCUSSION:
Through Part 1 of our study, which analyzed brand gender, we discovered that Starbucks
is not exactly feminized, however it is the least masculine of all the brands tested. We found that
Starbucks was rated rather neutrally, but out of all the masculine-feminine paired t-tests
conducted, Starbucks was ranked the most feminine of all brands tested, in that it was the least
masculine. Home Depot was found as the most masculine of the brands, followed by
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McDonalds, then by Blackberry, and then Starbucks. We also found that Starbucks ranked
highest in femininity when comparing Starbucks femininity to score to those of the other brands
through a paired-samples t-test.
These results were not quite as expected, but can still contribute to our theory. While
these findings were not exactly aligned with our original hypothesis that the brand is completely
feminized, we can still see that Starbucks is not as masculine as a variety of other brands, which
could contribute to Starbucks lower numbers of male consumers when compared to females.
Additionally, the results found Part 2, the coolness rating section of the survey, show that
females consider Starbucks to be significantly cooler than males do. The only brands that
females found to be cooler than Starbucks were Mercedes-Benz and Facebook.
These results were expected, which is reflected in our hypothesis. This supports our
hypothesis that Starbucks is becoming an increasingly feminized brand because there is a
significant difference the female coolness rating of Starbucks in comparison to the male
coolness rating.
The only major flaw in our study was the disproportionate number of female and male
participants. We had 104 female respondents and only 35 males. This could have impacted the
results we received because if one male answered completely differently than the other males
then the mean coolness rating could have been affected greatly. In comparison, if a female had
answered completely differently than the other females the mean would not have been affected
as much as the male mean could have been. This may have skewed the results of our survey in
that our male results were not as externally valid as our female results.
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CONCLUSION:
Overall, the results of our research show that the Starbucks brand, while not absolutely
feminized, still appeals more to females. Starbucks is the least masculine of the four brands
studied. Additionally, Starbucks is more likely to be ranked as cool by females than it is by
males. These results allow us to further understand the reasons behind the male-female
discrepancy in Starbucks consumers.
An extension to this study would be to compare Starbucks to brands that are perceived by
the researcher as definitely feminine, instead of using random selection, in order to see how
Starbucks ranks compared to highly feminized brands. This might help gain a better perspective
of how feminized Starbucks actually is, by seeing if it is rated similarly to other brands that are
perceived as definitely feminine.
This study could be improved by increasing the number of participants to at least meet
the number used in Grohmanns study. It could also be improved by ensuring more equal
numbers of male and female participants. Both of these improvements would add stability to the
results of the study, gaining a more accurate depiction of male and female attitudes toward
Starbucks and other brands.
Aside from brand genderization, there may be additional factors that deter males from
purchasing Starbucks. A future study, such as a focus group or interviews involving male
consumers, could be conducted that examines their reasons for not consuming Starbucks.
Perhaps male coffee drinkers prefer another brand of coffee, or maybe males purchase another
product entirely, such as energy drinks.
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RECOMMENDATIONS:
Our results exemplified that Starbucks is a more feminized brand when compared to
other brands. In addition, men viewed Starbucks as significantly less cool than females. We
believe our client should take action to masculinize their brand and also make their brand
cooler in the eyes of the male population. We think that Starbucks can do this by altering their
advertising campaigns. Indeed, Starbucks does very little in traditional advertising. We think
that Starbucks could benefit by using more traditional advertising geared towards males.
Millward Brown, a global marketing research organization, conducted a study on how men and
women respond differently to advertisements. Their results showed that men respond better to
humorous ads, more specifically, spoofs (Millward Brown, 2011). We believe that Starbucks
could be viewed as taking itself very seriously, and it would serve the brand well to develop a
sense of humor. Starbucks can do this by spoofing itself in commercials.
Although Starbucks brand is not feminized, their advertising approach is not targeted
towards men either. Our creative advertisement would display a buff manly man holding a
Starbucks drink with a stereotyped, girly name. This would target the male audience in a
humorous way. Our commercial would be designed after the same platform. A man would go
into a Starbucks and order a long drink like a, Venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, decaf, no
foam, extra hot, pumpkin spice with light whip and extra syrup please... oh and a birthday
cake pop, and act pleased when he receives it. A voiceover then would say, The coffee makes
the man. We think a strong male advertisement would benefit the Starbucks culture and
introduce more males to the brand.
We also think that Starbucks could benefit from doing product placements in shows
watched primarily by men such as Curb Your Enthusiasm on the HBO network. We think that a
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show like Curb Your Enthusiasm would be the best fit because it would be in our target market.
HBO is a premium channel in the same way that Starbucks is a premium product. It would
definitely add that humorous edge we are looking to attain. Ultimately, we want our
recommendations to bring in more males without losing the interest and business of females.
This would draw in more of the male population and could help Starbucks maximize their
customer-base and profits.
The comedy series, Curb Your Enthusiasm, follows Larry David, a semi-fictional
character of himself, co-creator of Seinfeld. Larry, a mook, is a single man discovering the
dating scene of Los Angeles (Curb Your Enthusiasm: About the Show, 2011). We selected this
particular show because the recent seasons premier broadcast drew an audience of 1.7 million
during the 10 pm showing, up 53% from the last season. 2.1 million viewers was the total after
the midnight showing (Curb Your Enthusiasm Premiere Ratings Highest Since 2004).
The advertisement would have to be careful not to mock Starbucks, or offend women but
attract men. Ideas for the placement would be for the barista at Starbucks to write flirty messages
on the cups, or changing Larrys name to pet names.
The creative advertising platform was discussed from the idea that we needed to branch
out our target advertising to men. We would place the male ads in non-gender specific magazines
like Time and Entertainment as well as mens magazines like GQ and Mens Health Magazine.
According to Sanjay Putrevu, compared to women, men will generate more positive affect and
stronger PI that are simple and focus one or a few key features (Putrevu 53). Placing a specific
product advertisement in these magazines will help our target audience because men are item-
specific processors, whereas women are relational (Putrevu 54). Our ads are simple enough to
display only one brand, and not concentrate on forming a direct relationship.
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REFERENCES:
Bearden, W. O., Netemeyer, R. G., & Haws, K. L. (2011). Handbook of marketing scales:
Multiitem measures for marketing and consumer behavior research. Thousand Oaks, CA:SAGE.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm: About the Show." HBO. Web. 05 Dec. 2011.
.
"Curb Your Enthusiasm Premiere Ratings Highest Since 2004." Breaking News and Opinion onThe Huffington Post. Web. 05 Dec. 2011. .
Grohmann, B. (2009), Gender Dimensions of Brand Personality, Journal of MarketingResearch, 46 (January), 105-19.
Millward Brown. (2011). Do men and women respond differently to ads? Retrieved from:
http://www.wpp.com/NR/rdonlyres/1DD86CF1-C93A-49C6-94FC-653889D60652/0/millward_brown_men_women.pdf
National Consumer Study. (2007) [Data file]. In Choices 3. Starbucks: Experian Simmons.
Sanjay Putrevu . Communicating with the Sexes: Male and Female Responses to PrintAdvertisements Journal of Advertising , Vol. 33, No. 3 (Autumn, 2004), pp. 51-62
Schept, K., Naim, L., WPP, & Millward Brown. (2011). Brandz Top 100 most valuable global
brands. Retrieved from http://c3232792.r92.cf0.rackcdn.com/WPP_BrandZ_2011.pdf
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