Shi Dongwei, vice president of Starbucks Greater China: the big story in the small coffee cup

Forty-two years ago, Starbucks was just a chain of coffee shops in Seattle. Today, this little green mermaid has evolved into a super Hulk with 18,000 stores in 62 countries. Besides the United States, China has become Starbucks 'second largest market. By 2015, Starbucks 'number of stores in China will increase from more than 800 now to 1500.

How did a coffee chain enterprise established only 42 years ago quickly become an international chain giant? How can simple coffee be popular all over the world? Why is a cup of bitter coffee expanding so rapidly in a country where tea culture prevails? What's the secret behind this? Shi Dongwei, vice president of Starbucks Coffee Greater China, recently accepted an exclusive interview with this reporter and told him what he understood about Starbucks "the big story in the small coffee cup."

Starbucks stores

Not just coffee, but culture.

"Come on, let's enjoy a cup of Starbucks first." At Starbucks Hubei, Shi Dongwei picked up a cup of coffee with an elegant smile, took a loud sip of it childishly and said happily,"This is the taste of Starbucks."

Shi Dongwei, an elegant and handsome Starbucks executive, graduated from Beijing Foreign Affairs University and served in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 12 years. The unique Starbucks experience and the "third space" are what draw people to Starbucks, he said. Starbucks inherits the "coffee spirit" from Seattle, sourcing only the best coffee beans from all over the world, and using a unique roasting process to give each coffee bean the most wonderful aroma, alcohol, acidity and taste, and finally bring every coffee lover a feast. While focusing on the quality of coffee, Starbucks is committed to inviting more people to share this unique coffee experience, creating a "third space" outside the home and workplace, so that everyone who comes here can enjoy coffee while getting an emotional experience extended by coffee.

"We don't sell coffee, we sell Starbucks." Instead of using the traditional tactics of other brand marketing strategies, such as heavy advertising and huge promotional budgets, Starbucks 'success lies in making coffee more than just a drink, but a way of life and culture through coffee, Shi said.

Starbucks rice dumplings

When in Rome, do as the Romans do to modulate "Chinese flavor"

Yesterday was Mother's Day, on Weibo,"petty bourgeoisie" netizen big flowers sun out a gift ready to give her mother: "There is still a month is the zongzi festival!" I ordered Starbucks in advance! Mom has wrapped dumplings for me for so many years. This year, let's bring mom to taste a new style of dumplings."

In addition to coffee from Seattle, Starbucks also sells "Chinese rice dumplings." To this, Shi Dongwei smiled and said: "It has been sold for many years." For example, in Wuchang Yuejiazui Starbucks shop, zongzi are limited sales, a kind of "star ice rice dumplings" wrapped in ice skin, mango, coffee, matcha, strawberry and other flavors. And on Mid-Autumn Festival, Starbucks will also launch mooncakes.

Shi Dongwei said Starbucks, while providing consumers with a consistent Starbucks experience, also emphasizes the personalization of products and services, constantly bringing pleasure and surprise to consumers. Starbucks, for example, does well in small stores in the United States because office workers often rush to buy a bacon cheese sandwich on their way to work in the morning, while in China consumers value leisure space, such as a sofa where they can relax in the afternoon, so Starbucks strives to add more local elements to the Starbucks experience in terms of store design, local food and beverage offerings, and so on. Qianmen Store in Beijing, Kuanzixiangzi Store in Chengdu, Sanfang Qixiang Store in Fuzhou, etc. are all loved by customers with strong local characteristics.

Shi Dongwei said that it is precisely because of continuous innovation that the Chinese people's favorite "Chinese flavor" has been modulated. In this flavor, Shi Dongwei and his team also added another unique flavor to Starbucks: corporate social responsibility. This time he came to Wuhan to launch a public welfare project aimed at youth training in rural communities in Hongan, Hubei Province.

Many customers who are accustomed to drinking coffee at Starbucks may not know the power of a cup of coffee in their hands. This kind of power is being transmitted to many people in need through the team managed by Shi Dongwei.

In 2006, Starbucks invested US$5 million to establish the Starbucks China Education Project, dedicated to supporting China's education cause. After the Wenchuan earthquake in 2009, Starbucks allocated 5 million yuan and Chengdu Education Foundation to jointly help teachers and students in the earthquake-stricken areas, directly benefiting 1600 teachers and more than 420,000 students in five years. Just a week before this interview, Shi Dongwei had just visited Ya 'an earthquake-stricken area to investigate the local demand for materials. Starbucks donated $2 million to those most in need. yingshang. Com

Indeed, the coffee chain in the field of "brother" began to test other drinks, launched traditional Chinese tea drinks in China, instant coffee, bottled coffee and other "low-profile" drinks have also appeared in Wuhan's large department stores. Shi Dongwei said Starbucks is to concoct the Chinese favorite "Chinese flavor."

Starbucks 'partner

Put your heart into your employees, i.e. your brand

"Ask my partner to make a cup of coffee for the reporters." In the interview, the reporter heard Shi Dongwei speak of the word "partner" many times.

"Actually, back in 1989, we decided to call all employees partners." Shi Dongwei said that the word "partner" is very important and has a different meaning for Starbucks. Starbucks has about 200,000 "partners" worldwide, spread across 18,000 stores, serving 70 million customers a week. Starbucks has 12,000 "partners" in China, and that number will grow to 30,000 in the next two years.

"Having so many employees means we have to take responsibility, not just make money." Starbucks does brand marketing in a very different way, not through marketing, not through advertising, but through the experience of our stores, so that customers get a real Starbucks experience,"Shi said.

So what is the "real Starbucks experience"? Shi Dongwei's answer is: "This experience comes from all Starbucks employees, not Starbucks senior management, not us, but those 'partners' wearing green aprons and black aprons. They are the real image of the company and they truly represent Starbucks brand."

According to Shi Dongwei, in April last year, more than 500 Starbucks China "partners" and their families were invited to Beijing to receive thanks from core management including Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Starbucks Asia Pacific President John Culver and Starbucks China President Wang Jingying at Starbucks 'first international trade store in Beijing. This is also the first time Starbucks has held a Starbucks Partners and Relatives Seminar on a global scale. On that day, seventy or eighty "partners" who had served Starbucks for more than ten years stood on the stage to receive heroic cheers.

"Inspire and nurture the human spirit-everyone, every cup, every community" is Starbucks 'mission. Shi Dongwei said that every small cup of coffee carries Mr. Schultz's idea of "injecting heart". Starbucks Partners delivers a unique experience and spirit by crafting the perfect cup of coffee, bringing everyone together.

(Editor: Leo)