Their logo that is. Well if you haven’t, you’re in for a real surprise. But before I tell you what I think let me first say I have very strong negative thoughts about this new identity and they are solely my own. There, now I can say anything I want.
Ok, I hate Seattle’s Best’s new logo. Let me give you a few of the reasons. but before I do judge for yourself. First the old logo, then the new one.
(Seaatle’s Former Logo)
(Seattle’s New Logo)
Does it make you want to be a part of anything Seattle’s got going? Does it properly express the core brand character that makes Seattle’s Best best? If you don’t think so then you know why I am shocked that this is actually something they are going to use.
And then there is also the question of why would Starbucks and presumably Seattle’s Best make this change in the first place? According to company press releases Starbucks, Seattle’s Best Coffee’s owner, is putting its energy into driving the sales of Seattle’s Best Coffee. This is curious when you consider that they used to be competitors until Starbucks acquired Seattle’s Best in 2003. Starbucks reports that it intends to expand the brand to more than 30,000 locations, up from 3,000, by the end of its fiscal year in September.
Also revealing is that Starbucks’ business has been reduced recently by lower cost coffee retailers such as McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, and other less expensive coffee choices. Starbucks has closed stores and reported reduced revenues of recent.
So there you have it. Starbucks is driving a new corporate look and positioning for its acquisition, Seattle’s Best, and doing an extremely poor job at it. Sometimes you are better off leaving well enough alone. Clearly, this was one of those times.