A Brand Is Built by People

What Does It Really Mean to "Put It into Action"?

“We have a new vision and a strategic plan to realise it.
We have a new brand name and symbol.
We even have a slogan.
Now it’s time to act. Every employee must take action.”
These are the bold calls often made by leadership.
But on the front lines, reality is quite different.
The workplace doesn’t suddenly change overnight.
Clients still make unreasonable demands.
Sales targets continue to loom overhead.
Taking a risk and trying something new could hurt your performance — and ultimately, your reputation.
After all, “there’s nothing wrong with how our team operates.”
Meanwhile, your manager remains in defence mode, or worse, expresses scepticism toward corporate initiatives.

Yes, the vision and core promise are familiar.
They’ve been tucked away in your memory — you even remember the wording.

But they remain just that: words.

At best, they feel distant and abstract — like the language of another culture or species, difficult to understand, let alone act upon.
As a result, the vision becomes little more than a nice picture on a wall.

The symbol ends up apologetically tucked into the corner of printed materials.
And the branding project quietly fades away.
This may sound like a cautionary tale — but it’s more common than we’d like to admit.
Much like presenting “democracy” to people who have known only war, genuine transformation often clashes with deeply rooted culture and organisational climate. These forces are powerful and resistant to superficial change.
Real change occurs only when each individual internalises the meaning and purpose of the transformation — when functions from product development and production, to logistics and sales, engage in open dialogue and align around a shared understanding. And when customers respond to the outcome with empathy and support.
So when introducing a new symbol, we must ask:
・Why this new symbol?
・What is design in the first place?
・What are we trying to achieve through design?
It is through each individual reflecting on these questions, experimenting, and iterating with intent, that the new symbol gains meaning — and eventually becomes embedded as value and organisational culture.
So, what does it really mean to “put it into action”?

Let us explore that question through the example of Starbucks Coffee Japan, which was listed on the Nasdaq Japan section of the Osaka Securities Exchange on 10 October 2001.

Starbucks = Big Smile!

"I fell in love with the bar."
That was the reaction of Howard Schultz — now Chairman and CEO of Starbucks — upon visiting Milan for the first time. He was deeply impressed by both the flavour of authentic espresso and the relaxed way locals enjoyed their time in the city’s espresso bars (of which there are over 1,500 in Milan alone).
Two years later, in 1985, Schultz launched his own coffee bar business. He began with a few shops in Seattle, and over the following 15 years, Starbucks expanded rapidly — eventually opening 4,500 stores worldwide (3,700 in North America and 800 overseas).

Meanwhile in Japan, Yuji Tsunoda — now Chairman and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Japan — had developed his business acumen through managing Hikage Chaya, a renowned traditional Japanese restaurant in Hayama, Kanagawa. In 1981, he opened Chaya Brasserie in Los Angeles, turning it into one of the West Coast’s most talked-about French restaurants.

One day, Tsunoda visited a newly opened coffee bar in LA and was struck by what he saw:
"Every member of staff welcomed me with a big smile. What is this energy — this 'Big Smile'?"
That coffee bar was none other than Starbucks. Inspired, Tsunoda wrote a letter to Howard Schultz requesting a meeting. To his surprise, Schultz personally responded, and the two agreed to meet.
At the time, Starbucks was exploring opportunities to enter the Japanese market. Though many large corporations and retail groups approached them with partnership offers, Schultz and his team ultimately chose Tsunoda — and his brother Rikuzo Suzuki, who ran SAZABY Inc., known for its highly popular brands like Afternoon Tea and agnès b.
The reason? Their brand core values resonated strongly with one another.

SAZABY’s brand promise was:
“A forward-thinking yet accessible lifestyle — half a step ahead.”
Starbucks’ was:
“Affordable luxury.”

It was not scale or capital that brought them together — it was shared brand values.

In 1995, Starbucks Coffee Japan was established as a 50-50 joint venture. That same year, the first store opened in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district.

At the time, Japan already had similar café chains like Doutor and PRONTO, so the Ginza launch didn’t cause much initial disruption. But as more stores opened across Tokyo, a loyal customer base began to form. Soon, queues stretched out the doors. On Sundays, the backstreets behind the Matsuya Ginza department store were filled with people holding iconic Starbucks cups.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Starbucks now operates over 300 locations in Japan and is aiming for 500 stores by 2004.

The Starbucks Experience and the Brand Value Triangle

The Starbucks brand is built around three core characteristics that together define what the company refers to as its Brand Value Triangle.
1. The Store Environment
A defining feature of Starbucks is its physical presence. It is often said that “when Starbucks opens, the atmosphere of the street changes.” Through carefully designed signs and façades, Starbucks creates a cosmopolitan visual identity. Indeed, in the early days, many customers in Japan were foreign nationals.
Inside, the store environment is both modern and organic. It reflects a design-conscious philosophy that integrates art and natural materials. Howard Schultz has described this unique aesthetic — the ambient “feel” of a Starbucks — as a core component of its brand value.

2. The Product (Coffee)
Equally important is Starbucks’ uncompromising commitment to coffee quality. From sourcing and supply chain management to roasting and pouring, the company demonstrates a passionate dedication to authenticity and craftsmanship.
To preserve the aroma of coffee, Starbucks stores are strictly non-smoking — a rare policy at the time of its market entry.

3. The People (Staff)
Finally, there are the baristas — energetic, friendly, and customer-focused. Starbucks has become one of the most sought-after employers among part-time workers in Japan. The vibrant spirit of its staff is considered a key part of the brand experience.

Delivering the Starbucks Experience
These three elements — people, coffee, and store environment — together form the Brand Value Triangle, which Starbucks uses as the foundation of its brand strategy. Through this holistic approach, the company aims to deliver what it calls the Starbucks Experience — a tangible embodiment of its brand promise.
This concept has helped shape the field of experiential marketing, which focuses on delivering consistent, multisensory brand experiences that resonate emotionally with consumers.

Brand Essence: The “Third Place”
The Starbucks Experience is also defined by its brand essence:
“To offer a refreshing presence in everyday life as a ‘Third Place’ — distinct from the home (first place) and the workplace (second place).”
To fulfil this role, Starbucks delivers both static values — comfort, authenticity, and familiarity — and dynamic values — surprise, discovery, and delight.
Together, these elements create a uniquely immersive and emotionally engaging brand experience that is central to Starbucks’ enduring appeal.

A System for Empowering People

Katsuichiro Yoshimoto, currently Executive Vice President and COO of Starbucks Coffee Japan, states unequivocally:
“At Starbucks, the brand is built by people.”
At Starbucks, employees are not referred to as “staff” or “workers,” but as partners — including part-time employees. Each partner is seen as both the director and the performer of the store experience.
Rather than investing in traditional advertising, Starbucks devotes significant time and resources to building systems that develop its people. This continuous process of trial and evolution is so dynamic that only around 20% of the entire operation is formally documented in manuals.

The Starbucks approach to people development is built around several key pillars:

1. Rigorous Training
Training is central. Certified trainers — partners qualified to deliver training — are responsible for teaching new recruits not only the technical skills to brew coffee but also the heart and spirit of Starbucks. Even part-time employees often undergo training that lasts around 10 days.

2. Structured Certification and Role Progression
After completing initial training, new hires become partners. By passing an exam, a partner can be certified as a trainer, a respected and honourable role responsible for developing others.

Above that is the designation of Coffee Master — the store’s coffee expert, who wears a distinctive black apron (rather than a black belt). Coffee Masters are responsible for planning and running in-store events such as tasting parties and food pairings, and they often help launch new stores across the country. It's a highly coveted role among partners.

At the top of this pyramid is the Coffee Ambassador — the “master of masters.” Once a year, the most outstanding Coffee Master is selected from across Japan. This individual may be sent overseas to support new international openings. Notably, the 2001 Coffee Ambassador was a 22-year-old part-time employee.
The head office, referred to not as “corporate” but as the Support Centre, exists to assist frontline partners. During peak periods such as Christmas, it operates a Holiday Helper Programme, in which headquarters staff go out to stores to help with cleaning and dishwashing.

3. Store-Level Initiatives
Individual stores independently plan and run events such as tasting parties and food pairings, typically led by Coffee Masters. These activities are not mandated as part of a national campaign, but are instead store-led and community-focused.
Even requests for Holiday Helpers originate from store managers. Remarkably, around 80% of store operations are governed not by head office directives, but by local, partner-driven decision-making.

4. Daily Rituals
Each day, partners at every store recite a mantra — a reflection of their shared purpose:
“One cup at a time.
One customer at a time.”
This simple phrase reinforces the idea that every single interaction — every cup served, every guest welcomed — matters. It embodies the Starbucks belief that people make the brand.

『One cup at a time. （一杯ごとに精魂をこめて）
One customer at a time.（1人づつのお客様に精魂をこめて）』

A Brand Cannot Be Built by Advertising Alone

Katsuichiro Yoshimoto, Executive Vice President of Starbucks Coffee Japan, shares this insight about the Starbucks brand:

“A brand is trust.
Trust is born when expectations are consistently met — or exceeded.
Brand building, at its core, is the process of cultivating trust.
That includes trust between the company and its partners, and trust between the company and its customers.
Only when both types of trust are established can the individuals working in our stores truly become the ‘face of the Siren.’
This is what allows Starbucks to remain authentically Starbucks.”
(The “Siren” refers to the mythical figure featured in the Starbucks logo — not the gentle mermaid, but a playful, two-tailed sea spirit known for her mischievous charm.)

また好本専務（前述）は言います。

Yoshimoto further explains:

“At Starbucks, the brand is its people.
The central question of our branding is: how can we support people in becoming the brand?
When people talk about brand building, the conversation too often turns straight to advertising strategy.
But for us, it’s about how to help our partners say, ‘I love Starbucks. I love where I work.’
That sense of ownership and enthusiasm is what gives rise to our brand.
Engaged and empowered people are the brand.”

In other words, it’s not that a core promise creates the organisation, the products, and the people.
Rather, it is people themselves, through reflective and empowering experiences, who generate the value that becomes the core promise.
This ongoing cycle — of intention, language, and action — ultimately takes root as culture and organisational climate.

In Closing: Words from Gandhi
To conclude, let us reflect on these words written by Mahatma Gandhi in 1930: