The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Introduction
Starbucks Coffee Company is one of the major chain companies that has been very
successful in its business. It is a company that has maintained its image while providing high end
service and drinks to customers at a price a little higher than most coffee shops. The company
made it in the Fortune 500 for the 2011 year according to CNN Money’s Fortune 500 report.
Fortune 500 is the ranking system for top notch companies in the world. How Starbucks’
company has been able to stay in business and attract many consumers without having to worry
about competing prices and lowering prices can be taken into question. There may be many
reasons that Starbucks has been able to do this. From a rhetorical perspective, Starbucks uses the
power of language and visual elements to lure customers while gaining profit and an elevated
image to sell its brand. Many messages relating to the social and political topics relevant to our
culture today exist within the visual elements of the company’s coffee shops themselves.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research will be to determine how certain influences have an impact
on the aesthetics and design of the Starbucks Coffee Company. Starbucks promotes an embedded
form of communication that attracts people to their stores. The company uses specific words and
language to promote ideas and their brand. Through careful analysis, this research may be able to
determine the level of communicative consciousness that Starbucks has on its customers through
the analysis of its store designs. Also, many factors will be analyzed to discover the power of
communicative advertising and persuasion in drawing potential customers to purchasing coffee
and/or goods from Starbucks Coffee Company. The print advertisements displayed in Starbucks
Company’s stores will be noted and analyzed. The key answers may lie behind the coffee
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
displays or locational preferences. The focus of the research will be pointed towards the factors
of rhetoric influence on customers through its store designs and visual appeal.
Rationale
Starbucks was chosen for analysis because of its unique and consistent visual aesthetic
and because of its continued popularity in the United States. Many have often wondered how
Starbucks Coffee Company has become very high in popularity. There seems to be a
communicative and rhetorical factor hidden behind its success and the way people perceive
coffee and the atmosphere that the company brings. This project will investigate the rhetorical
function of the visual elements within the Starbuck’s coffee shops and then evaluate the success
of those strategies.
Research Questions
1. How do the visual aesthetics of Starbucks Coffee Company’s stores utilize certain
rhetorical influences upon customers?
2. What does the use of visual rhetorical strategies in Starbucks Coffee Company’s images
express about the different store designs?
Describing Rhetorical Artifact
Starbucks Coffee Company has a variety of store styles that are used to promote their
business. They also promote an environment that provides for a different type of atmosphere and
place where people can go to feel at home. Starbuck’s Company has four different types of store
designs that they use throughout the country (starbucks.com/coffeehouse/store-design). The
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Heritage style focuses mainly on the “mercantile” look that is replicated from Seattle’s Pike
Place market. Worn hardwood floors and metal tables and stools with “factory” lighting
complete the look. This style is supposed to “evoke a turn-of-the-last-century feeling” according
to Starbucks’ website. The second design they use is called The Artisan. The Artisan has the
industrial look of the 1930’s with exposed beams and artwork. The third design, Regional
Modern brings a contemporary look and calming, welcoming feel to the store with lots of light.
The fourth design is called Concept which provides a sense of exploration and is the “design
sandbox” of coffee as Starbucks’ website puts it (http://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/storedesign).
Context
The company’s goal is to become a local “watering hole” and provide a local, community
established feel. The intent of Starbucks is that it wants to appear as the local mom and pop
coffee shop, providing comfort and a warm atmosphere, while also growing as a company with
many, many stores nationwide. It appears to be an issue because Starbucks contradicts itself in
its attempt to appear as a mom and pop shop because it is also a growing chain corporation. It is
trying to promote the “anti-chainstore” idea by appearing as a small local coffee shop on the
street corner of small towns, blending in with the local debonair (Cook, 2009, p. 12). Many
people have believed that Starbucks would run out the smaller, local coffee shops of the areas
that they are established in. However, this has not happened. The growth of Starbucks has
influenced the smaller shops to become more unique and offer specialty drinks that compete well
with them.
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Some competing local coffee shops that are really considered the “mom and pop” type
have actually welcomed Starbucks into its area because they claim that it helps business by
increasing their exclusive service and menus. The owner of a local coffeehouse claimed,
“Starbucks is often more expensive than the local coffeehouse, and it offers a very limited menu;
you'll never see discounts or punch cards at Starbucks, nor will you see unique, localized fare” (Mom
n Pop Coffee Stores Take on Starbucks, 2008, p. 3). Local coffeehouse owners actually love that
Starbucks is in town, which should be the opposite. These local café owners appreciate the fact
because Starbucks is not seen as a threat with its high prices and standardized coffee. Why then does
Starbucks see itself as a unique mom and pop store? The answer may lie in its store design and their
coffees and promises that they offer. It might be obvious that Starbucks is not successful because of
its “mom and pop” approach, but through other communicative and visual strategies.
Literature Review
Starbucks Coffee Company has provided many communication studies that can analyze
political and cultural messages being sent. One example is the fact that Starbucks CEO Howard
Schultz promoted its store’s baristas to write the phrase “come together” on the cups purchased
by customers in stores near Washington, D.C. during the political campaign high before the
elections (Advertising Age, 2012). This was actually a hidden message targeted towards
politicians and lawmakers to work together peacefully for the good of America. The fact of
whether customers would understand the meaning of the phrase and if a key percentage of
politicians actually purchase coffee beverages from Starbucks is in question. Schultz told his
Starbucks employees that if any customers asked what the phrase means, to tell them, “it’s a
holiday gift from us to them, celebrating the spirit that has always bridged differences that
divides us” (Advertising Age, 2012). It is obvious that Starbucks Coffee Company’s CEO had a
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
motive to attempt to influence the political movements and the use of specific words in a
communicative strategy that would trigger the minds of lawmakers into action.
Just recently, Starbucks Coffee Company has begun to launch a bigger advertising
campaign in mass media. In the past, Starbucks has never had the need for extravagant means of
advertising and communicating messages to get customers in their stores. They relied on their
natural environment and the target younger generation to gain loyalty. The company’s many
stores’ natural environments and beverages have been routinely consistent and satisfactory to its
customers. Starbucks’ other CEO Jim Donald wants the company to advertise to a bigger
audience, not only the younger generation and expand its expertise and products (York, 2007).
Some were afraid that the launch of Starbucks advertising on national television would be bad
for its business because it could be showing that Starbucks is trying to change too much in a bad
way (York, 2007).
A study shows that Starbucks has its own “language” for creating its own culture in its
stores and through coffee lovers and frequent customers. Starbucks Founder, Schultz said that
Starbucks had to be integrated in its own language and culture to create a place where people
want to go. According to a study by Ruzich (2008), “Starbucks Corporation has associated coffee
with the language of love: self-love, romantic love, and philanthropic love. Starbucks’ corporate
use of language is carefully crafted to appear as comforting as hot cocoa with ‘‘extra whip,’’ as
hot as a steamed latte, and as socially conscious as the Fair Trade coffee offered for sale in their
stores (p. 428).” The study suggests that Starbucks is promoting their products and stores as a
place of relaxation and self-indulgence as a form of love. However, this is the outward
appearance that Starbucks’ company is representing to the public. The initial background of the
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
coffee trade is focused on colonialism and capitalism and the history that it holds being a highend industry in the sixteen hundreds (Ruzich, 2008).
Ever since the coffee trade began in the sixteen hundreds with the growth and
transportation of coffee in Ethiopia, the social use of coffee has increased in communicating rank
and class for Europeans (Ruzich, 2008). The use of coffee instead of alcohol as a meal
commodity initiated the globalization and spread of the coffee industry. Studies showed that
coffee falls right behind oil in the “most valuable trading commodity” of the world (Ruzich,
2008, p. 431). Starbucks has become one of the leading coffee promoters in America and has
been rapidly growing. Schultz stated that Starbucks has a culture that influences the attitudes of
its customers by “wooing them through the seductive experience offered in Starbucks cafes” and
that it has a “skillful use of language as part of the game of seduction” (Ruzich, 2008, p. 433).
According to Starbucks’ CEO, it has a powerful language associated with love and the use of
different colors, themes, and drinks.
A feminist approach in conveying Starbucks to coffee lovers or “coffee converts” as CEO
Schultz has called it, has used the strategy that women are more vulnerable to the seduction of
coffee and the atmosphere that Starbucks provides (Ruzich, 2008). Through advertising,
Starbucks has used coffee as power over women in making them want the best coffee for
themselves and their husbands. Their feminist approach on advertising has led Starbucks to
drawing women to their stores to purchase its whole bean coffees that it sells on its shelves for
home use. Their advertising has put down coffee brands such as Folgers and Maxwell House
using the feminist perspective of the wife making her husband coffee in the morning and the fact
that he will only want the best to make him happy. Thus, it is the duty of the wife to ensure that
she purchases only the best, and of course that would be Starbucks brand. The power of coffee
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
on women has continued to connect Starbucks’ language of love to how women become easily
entrapped with the fantasies of love and seduction (Ruzich, 2008).
Another outlook that Starbucks Coffee Company provides based on the rhetorical
message linked with its famed success, is where they get their coffees and how they present their
coffees to customers. It has always been a wonder for many how Starbucks is able to be wholly
successful due to its higher prices compared to other coffee shops such as Dunkin Donuts. The
answer partially comes from the fact that it invests in purchasing coffees of a higher quality and
specialty (Ruzich, 2008). They focus on getting their coffee products through fair trade practices.
They ensure that they purchase the coffee directly from producers and imports from fair trade
organizations (Ruzich, 2008). This suggests an underlying political message rhetorically as
Starbucks uses political “morality” to publicly express its “goodness” and honesty. Political
communication also plays a role through Starbucks Coffee Company due to the fact that it
“donates more to CARE than any other US corporation, earmarking its contributions for aid to
coffee producing countries” (Ruzich, 2008, p. 439). They also use subtle language in their
advertising strategies because they promote customers to support its causes by stating, ‘‘Every
time you purchase Starbucks’ coffee, you’re also making a difference, helping to improve
people’s lives, and encouraging conservation where our coffee is grown’’ (Ruzich, 2008, p. 439).
The underlying message here from Starbucks’ company to consumers is that they are not only
buying coffee, but also supporting many causes that the company donates their profits to.
The company also focuses on the design of its stores and the atmosphere and change of
attitude it has on customers as they enter the store and what attitudes they bring that affect their
choices. Starbucks uses a very natural tone of color to exhibit the authenticity that the company
is trying to promote. The fact that they use personalization to promote that it is “all about you”
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
and “this coffee was freshly brewed and crafted just for you” kind of approach is used to make
customers feel special and that the company actually cares about their customers individually.
According to a New York Times article, Starbucks is not only selling itself through its
store design and coffee drinks that it offers, but through music and books. CEO Howard Schultz
said, “At our core, we’re a coffee company, but the opportunity we have to extend the brand is
beyond coffee; it’s entertainment” (Dominus, 2006, p. 4). A frequent customer stated, “If I hear a
CD they’re playing, I generally like it,” which shows the effect that Starbucks can have on its
customers (Dominus, 2006, p. 10). Schultz also stated that it was Starbucks’ goal to go outside
the “mainstream” making the Starbucks experience unique.
Starbucks is also a promoter for the book publishing industry according to the Times
article by Dominus (2006). Starbucks is an ideal place for authors to go and have book signings
and advertise and sell their books at events. Starbucks is not only a place for buying coffee and
relaxing, but a location where many possibilities for cultural diversity can grow through learning
experiences.
Another article emphasizes how Starbucks is portrayed in movies and that the coffee
shops in movies are derived from Starbucks. That Starbucks is “promoting a feeling, selling an
image of artistry” (Lowe, 2001, p. 10), really influences the aesthetic appearance that it brings.
Starbucks uses artwork as a “product seller” to bring customers to their stores and experience the
cultural images that it may promote. Lowe (2001) says that Starbucks is “threatening” the art
world by taking advantage of artists and using labels on poorly done artwork to portray them as
“significant” (Lowe, 2001, p. 11). The basis of this article is demonstrating that Starbucks is not
a museum where rows of important works may hang on its walls. The label “Starbucks” is
bringing high-end stereotypical ideas to each customer that it has. If Starbucks represents it, then
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
it must be amazing, but if Starbucks does not represent it, then it is not worth enjoying is the
message being sent. If poorly done artwork can be displayed in Starbucks stores across the
nation, then what worth does “real artwork” have, is Lowe (2001)’s argument.
Symbolic uses in the most unconventional ways are what shape visual culture in the
many arrays and forms that pictures and colors bring in life. Many people do not hesitate to
consciously analyze how visual appeals may impact their perceptions and choices. When they
do, it often comes subconsciously. As Dickinson (2002) puts it, “As rhetorical critics and
theorists we seldom pay strict attention to the materiality of the symbol” (p. 5). Visual symbols
as the elements of a rhetorical sphere bring something to the table that helps complete the
communicative message that is being conveyed. While in some cases, such as visiting art
museums and the like, it is expected to assume a visual critic persona and specifically analyze
images in context. However, when it comes to the everyday and ordinary, visual context is often
neglected. “While everyday spaces like coffee shops are filled with symbolic visual and material
elements, these elements are less obviously symbolic than those that make up a memorial or a
museum” distinctly and accurately portrays the abandonment that we inflict on the ordinary such
as Starbucks coffee shops (Dickinson, 2002, p. 6). The way we shape ourselves and our ideas are
revolved around the symbols that appear in the mundane world, whether it be deliberate or
accidental (Dickinson, 2002).
Starbucks Coffee Company serves a purpose in individual identity through its visual
appeal. The people that choose to go to Starbucks and are loyal customers find some kind of link
and association with its brand. This concept is stated in an article by Modesti (2008), “the
consumer is invited to use the reflected appraisals of her surroundings to further create and shape
the identity of her choosing (p. 198). Therefore, identity is decided by the consumer through the
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
surroundings that they themselves immerse into. Spaces, rhetorically speaking, “are artifacts that
are purely linguistic” because they promote certain kinds of perspectives and actions (Modesti,
2008, p. 199). Power also comes within a space through its visual appeal and the ways that
people behave and act in those spaces, which draw certain kinds of people repeatedly. Michel de
Certeau described his theory on space in the everyday, “a space is composed of intersections of
mobile elements. It is in a sense actuated by the ensemble of movements deployed within it.
Space occurs as the effect produced by the operations that orient it, situate it, temporalize it, and
make it function in a polyvalent unity of conflictual programs or contractual proximities (de
Certeau, 1984, p. 117). Space has control over how a person acts through its visual images and
colors. Starbucks has its own kind of identity and power that comes within its stores and the
people that purchase coffee or relax in their space.
Methodology
The critical approach for analyzing Starbucks Coffee Company’s hidden messages and
language took a very visual approach. The method that was used in conducting the study is
Helmer’s Visual Analysis. This study examined two of the four styles located in the Rochester
area. The analysis of the Artisan and Regional Modern styles were conducted. Visual culture is
focused on the historical and contextual expression of images and objects. “Each visual image or
each object that we respond to visually uses certain elements of design to convey its message”
(The Elements of Critical Viewing, p. 27) defines what one should look for while determining
the visual appeal of an object or design.
There are nine steps that were approached in the visual research and analysis of the four
design concepts that Starbucks uses in its stores. To conduct the research process, the two
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
different store concepts were located in the Rochester area and four separate weeks were set
aside to individually focus on the steps for each store.
Step One:
Record the initial impression: This will only take into account the very first
glimpse impression and the first thing that is noticed when walking into the store.
The impression is the first thing that catches the eye that is appealing.
Step Two:
Place the image into context: What is the purpose of the image as a whole in
advertising to customers ?
Step Three:
Describe the image in detail: What is the message that is received from the image
and what do the designs convey?
Step Four:
Identify symbolic elements: What are the symbols shown? Color, line, shape,
value, etc? Describe the meanings that are derived from the symbols.
Step Five:
Distinguish absences: Focus on deconstructionalizing the image and its meaning.
Is there negative space? What creates it? Is there a reason for it?
Step Six:
Examine the self as a viewer of images: what is the reaction expected from the
image?
Step Seven:
Consider the effect of the image on the viewer: what is the attitude and feeling
that the receiver should get from the image?
Step Eight:
Research the image: What is the origin of the image and where did it come from?
Step Nine:
Prepare an interpretation: This final step takes all of the previous eight steps into
context regarding the image and gives a sense of what it means in a visual
context.
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Once the analysis was completed for each of the two Starbucks store styles, the research
compares and contrasts the visual culture for each of the store styles and it takes into thought the
fact that “Does Starbucks’ visual appeal stay in line with what they are trying to promote?” Also,
what social messages are the images are trying to convey was taken into question. The end result
emphasizes how well Starbucks is or isn’t able to use its visual appeal to encourage business and
personal connection within its stores.
Analysis and Interpretation
Starbucks Coffee Company has proved worthy in their placement of locational excellence
with their store design. The company itself has their showcased store designs in specific areas
that appeal to the types of persons living in a certain area. For example, in Rochester, New York,
the ascertainment has been made that the Artisan and Regional Modern styles are carefully
established throughout the city and its neighboring suburbs. The other two distinct styles that
Starbucks offers nationwide have not been discovered in the Rochester area.
The first store examined, located in the Greece Township on Ridgeway Avenue in
Rochester holds the Artisan Style as promoted by Starbucks Coffee Company. This particular
store is located in the suburbs within a middle class neighborhood. Upon walking in the store, the
first thing that catches the eye is the array of goodies that are vibrantly displayed in glass cases at
the front order counter. Starbucks as it is, is generally known for selling beverages, specifically
coffee and delectable treats. However, on the sub-layer, rhetorically speaking, they offer more
than just that. Neutral colors envelope the entire store from the floors all the way to the ceiling.
The Greece store very carefully and systematically focuses on the placement of earth tones.
Their focus is centered on very natural tones that connect remotely with the outdoors. The lounge
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
area tile is consisted of a brown, grey, and black color mixture, textured like semi-smooth rock.
Wooden tables and chairs that have a natural oak finish in squares or circles are equally spaced
out. The wall space is very limited with green paint incorporated with a hue of brown. Very large
bay windows line most of the store and make up most of its enclosure, giving a full view of the
outdoors as viewed in Appendix C. However, the ceiling poses a contrast to the elements below.
Spray painted grey, exposed beams and pipes wrought in different directions protrude from the
main overhang. Industrial lighting in rows of bright whiteness line the beams in the ceiling. The
store counter area contains brick-orange tile that crisscrosses around the counter space as seen in
Appendix A. The wall behind the counter is created of stacked red-orange bricks. The initial
encounter with the image portrayal of the store may be that Starbucks is giving its store an
outdoor appeal. The menu items appear to offer distinguished, signature names such as the
‘Cinnamon Dolce Latte’ or the ‘Caramel Macchiato.’ These suggest that Starbucks is conveying
an appearance of the elite, upscale class, promoting quality and personal happiness.
The symbolic elements that are being expressed within the store are the very subtle and
intricate uses of geometric shapes and patterns. From the tile floor to the tables and the structure
of the store, only square and circular shapes are used with fine lines and curves. When one gets a
cup and really deconstructions the Starbuck’s logo image, we see the lines and shapes of white
and green blended together to create the appearance of a goddess. The goddess image implies
that Starbucks is the goddess that allows people to whisk away from reality and become
comfortable and personal, with the satisfaction of a hot or cold drink and some treats to sustain
them. The photograph that is displayed at this specific Starbucks depicts a drawing of a goddess
with the Starbucks name written across the top as seen in Appendix B. The implication being
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
shown here is that the goddess of happiness and satisfaction is found in adjoining to coffee and a
place to relax and zone out from the outer world.
The store is very space-conscious in its design. The negative space in the store is very
well established. The store is clutter free with the perfect amount of furniture to maximize space.
The photographs or illustrations framed on the walls contain either the Starbucks name in some
context or have a mention of coffee and the goddess. The obvious symbolic connection that is
being displayed is evoking the coffee theme while also displaying the representation of a certain
goddess as an analogy for happiness and satisfaction.
The reaction that the Greece Starbucks wants its customers to attain upon entering their
doors is to experience a desire, a satisfaction that a signature drink or inviting edibles may bring.
They want their customers to acknowledge the quality and personal connection that Starbucks is
focused on bringing to the people of America. The attitudes that the customer gets from
purchasing a drink and relaxing in the Greece Starbuck’s atmosphere is that of paradise and
disconnecting from the outside world. To be isolated, nestled in the depths of the woods in a
remote location is the vibe of this particular Greece store. People are able to focus on their
personal and social lives, with their laptops open or catching up with old friends, especially in
the early to late afternoons. The store is busiest post-work hours when people want to relax after
a long hard day. The community is thought of to be very important in this specific location
because they have a “Community” bulletin board posted in the store that lists many community
events. The main sentiment that customers should be getting from this store is that individuals
and community matters.
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
The Henrietta Township of Rochester is located in a higher density population in a plaza
lined with numerous different shops. The store borders a highway and is very different in design
and style. As soon as the doors are opened and the interior is glimpsed, the first thing that cannot
be missed is the narrow, long hall that the store is crammed into. The walls are very dark with a
hint of white paint peeking around the gigantic photographs that line the one wall opposite of the
store counter. The obvious style of the store is Regional Modern with its very clean cut form.
The lighting is extremely modernized and many small lights are lined in precise rows to cover
the whole span of the store. The tables and chairs are arranged in rows along one wall and are
very few. They are derived from dark mahogany wood. The store counter is created of wooden
bricks painted a bold black as seen in Appendices G and H. The floor tile throughout the store is
very dark brown in color, representing espresso. The ceiling is very flat and painted a bold black
that represents the wooden bricks. The photographs that line the wall are enlarged and close-up
shots of coffee beans growing on a branch and large buckets of coffee being gathered. The entire
store as a whole represents a very dark, clean, modern appeal with very focused sharp squared
geometrics. The message that is received from the image of the Henrietta Starbucks is that the
store focuses more on evoking an upscale attitude and communicates to its customers that it is
focused on luxury.
The symbolic element that is focused upon in the Henrietta Starbucks store is the
emphasis of the varieties and luxurious coffees that they provide. The photographs in Appendix
D represent the professional photographs that have been framed and hung on the main wall of
this very narrow space. These photographs are significant to this particular Starbucks’ visual
communicative strategies in which it accentuates the organic growth and collection of its coffees.
The rich brown colors exhibited in these photographs may represent relaxation and desire for
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
coffee. The vastly lined shelves of numerous varieties of coffees for sale in Appendices E and F
represent symbolically, the luxuries that coffee brings to life. It persuades and presents in a
certain manner to suggest that coffee is a necessity to bring happiness and contentment to life.
Having a life of satisfaction and luxury is what Starbucks seems to be encouraging in this
particular location.
The absence of major space in this store makes it seem very cramped and cluttered with
its excess coffee products. The space is however, cleverly maximized for the best usage. The
reaction expected from this certain image of Starbucks is to ensure that people will desire coffee
and that Starbucks will be able to provide each customer with the type of coffee that will meet
their satisfaction in order to gain happiness. The attitudes and views that customers should feel
upon entering the Henrietta Starbucks is that they are arriving into a world of luxury and class.
The modernization and design of the store is supposed to create an atmosphere of extravagance
and indulgence. The use of extravagance steered towards customers allows them to feel a
personal experience and that Starbucks actually cares about each person individually.
Discussion
Summary of Findings
The analysis of the Artisan and Regional Modern styles of Starbucks Coffee Company
has clearly demonstrated that the company itself is looking to use location as a key component in
what store design style they place in certain areas. The determination that the Rochester area
only carries the two specific store styles confirms that Starbucks does indeed grasp that it is
relative to focus on an area’s appeal and what will pertain to the residents of the area to attend
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
and relax in their store frequently. The form of visual culture that Starbucks uses within each of
its store design in Rochester was effective in communicating its purposes using different
methods while successfully reaching its ultimate goal of one uniform idea. The message that
Starbucks is trying to convey through its stores is that each person is entitled to have happiness
and satisfaction in life. The consumption of coffee is understood to assist in attaining that
happiness and satisfaction, while the environment of Starbucks is very relaxing, natural, and
luxurious to bring a form of paradise close to home. A connection on a personal level is also
intended to be attained through Starbucks by their ability to have a variety of drinks to satisfy
each person’s needs.
Implications
This research can conclude that Starbucks does indeed use specific strategies to create a
visual aesthetic that appeals to the specific store location’s public. They use certain visual colors
that induce feelings of desire for coffee followed by relaxation and satisfaction which leads to
happiness.
Limitations
A limitation faced by this research process was location. This research was constrained to
only include Starbucks stores in the Rochester area. Another limitation is customer input. This
research focused solely on store design and the details used to communicate a certain idea
without thoroughly gaining true customer involvement and feedback.
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Suggestions for Future Research
Future research on this topic should include the external features of Starbucks store
designs. The essential factor that would contribute to an increased understanding of how truly
effective its visual aesthetic is would be to interview many loyal Starbucks customers and gather
findings on their viewpoints.
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Appendices
Appendix A
Appendix B
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Appendix C
Appendix D
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Appendix E
Appendix F
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The Rhetoric of Starbucks: The Language of Love
Appendix G
Appendix H
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