Case Name :      Starbucks

Authors :           Mary M. Crossan, Ariff Kachra

Source :             Ivey Publishing

Case ID :            98M006

Discipline :        Marketing

Case Length :    28 pages

Solution Sample availability : YES

Plagiarism : NO (100% Original work)

Starbucks is faced with the issue of how it should leverage its core competencies against various opportunities for growth, including introducing its coffee in McDonalds, pursuing further expansion of its retail operations, and leveraging the brand into other product areas. The case is written so that students need to first identify where Starbucks’ competencies lie along the value chain, and then assess how well those competencies can be leveraged across the various alternatives. Also provides an opportunity for students to assess what is driving growth in this company. Starbucks has a tremendous appetite for cash since all its stores are corporate, and investors are betting that it will be able to continue its phenomenal growth so it needs to walk a fine line between leveraging its brand to achieve growth and not eroding it in the process.