Branding is essential but ill-understood. Managers mumble mantras to their minions about the importance of maintaining the integrity of their brand while consciously or inadvertently sabotaging their efforts. The jumbled semiotics of bad branding undermines the performance of everyone in an organization, from the CEO in his plush suite to the people who interact with customers in the field.
But the difference between Starbucks and fast food joints is that the totality of the experience is more upscale, of course, and positive. That is its brand: providing a respite from the world's hustle and bustle. This environment becomes conducive to non-coffee purchases such as pastries, candies and even music CDs by compatible artists.
According to Moore, it's for this reason the company places the greatest emphasis in developing its people, as their attitude and performance define the customer experience and the brand.
The biggest lesson, I think, is that authenticity is where it's at. You can create an honest, open and attractive business by treating your stakeholders well, but if your products and services are not reflected in the parallel narrative that you're trying to convey, all efforts are doomed.
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