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UAE: SouqExtra! Ewan Center Embraces New Retail Trend

salama — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:16:02 +0000

Community Supercenter sees 48% rise in daily footfall in year 2011

SouqExtra! Ewan Center Embraces New Retail Trend

Dubai, UAE – 25 January 2012: SouqExtra!, the national chain of community supercenters, has experienced a 48 percent increase in daily footfall corresponding to the positive reception of its concept by the local retail community and the confident outlook for the UAE retail sector.

SouqExtra! officials announced this encouraging trend during a cake cutting ceremony held with retail partners and community members to mark the second anniversary of its flagship outlet at Ewan Residences in Dubai Investment Park.

The Anniversary celebration is the first major event on SouqExtra!’s 2012 Activity Calendar. The entertainment needs of children during this event have also been given a special care with bouncing castle, clowns, magic show and a host of other fun filled activities that will continue for 3 days.

Speaking on the occasion, Saleh Abdullah Lootah, Managing Director of SouqExtra! said “These new figures are very astounding, and are driven by the increased consumer confidence in the UAE and the rising demand for modern retailing concepts, such as SouqExtra!”.

This is backed by the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) who stated that consumer confidence in Dubai rose during the fourth quarter of 2011 compared to the previous quarter. The confidence index increased from 15 points to 125, boosted by a 22 per cent in survey respondents’ optimism of an economic recovery over the next 12 months.

“Our operational model, that revolves around the needs and unique demographics of the residential communities in which we are based, has proved very successful and has been praised by retail partners and consumers alike,” said Justin Wilshaw, the Chief Executive Officer of SouqExtra!.

Attending to the local community demand at SouqExtra! Ewan Residences, new retail space has been allocated for more services including a coffee shop, a driving institute and a sunglass offer according to Mr Wilshaw.

Building on the lifestyle supercenter’s community-centric character the first year anniversary celebrations at SouqExtra! Ewan Residences saw a 100% increase in daily footfall.

SouqExtra! is a pioneering lifestyle supercenter model, representing an innovative retail concept shaped by extensive research into outlet positioning as well as the quality and variety of services offered. It offers an innovative program that encourages local entrepreneurs to enter the exciting retail scene, and focuses on providing access to amenities and services that connect consumers’ professional and family life to the larger community, adding something Extra! to life.

- Ends -

About SouqExra!

SouqExtra! is the name of neighbourhood community-focused centers, with integrated primary services such as high-end grocery, kids’ play area, fast food outlets, coffee shops, full-fledged gymnasium, salon, photo shop and community hall, all designed to help the community meet their daily needs. SouqExtra’s tagline “My Favourite Place” sums up the concept’s unique sales proposition. The gyms, for instance, will offer the full range of fitness equipment, complete with a trainer. The community hall will be rented out to residents for hosting parties, birthdays, events, celebrations, family gatherings and other community activities. The Phase 1 of SouqExtra will add retail space of 500,000 sq. ft. in UAE. Each SouqExtra centre will boast a uniform design with a friendly ambience and ample parking spaces, to serve as a one-stop shop for day to day needs of the community.

UAE: Marketing Survey Suggests that UAE Residents Eat Out 11 Times a Week

salama — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:04:22 +0000

By Don Young Jr – Daily Deal Media

Over half the week’s meals are consumed outside the home

Here is an interesting survey that just came out. These findings come from the combined efforts of LivingSocial and YouGov statistics are in and they show that United Arab Emirates (UAE) are eating out a whopping 11 times a week. Considering an average week consists of 21 meals, which implies that UAE residents are eating out over 50% of the time.

The survey suggests that local Arabic cuisine is still top dog. Italian and Chinese restaurants then round out the top three choices. Ethiopian, Brazilian, Argentinean and German were the least popular food choices. Unfortunately the survey also pointed to the fact that friends are beating out family members to the table as preferred dining companions outside the home.

This latest report was commissioned by LivingSocial as part of its ongoing efforts to discover and share information about local social trends. The survey itself was based on the dining habits provided by 1,131 residents. The results are quite interesting and do provide certain insight into the tastes of local residents.

A breakdown of the respondents

Lebanon – 57%
UAE - 35%
Jordan – 23%
Egypt – 17%
Others – 3%

The majority of those surveyed (61%) were between the ages of 18 and 34.

According to the results, 64% of UAE residents dine out with their friends verses their family. Business colleagues proved the least popular choice with only 23% of respondents choosing to dine with their colleagues.

The study also revealed women preferred Arabic cuisine followed by Italian. Men preferred BBQ and pizza.

Take out choices

When it comes to preferred take-out options, pizza is the number one food choice according to 54% of those responding. Spicy carry-out came in second with most choosing Indian cuisine. Third on the take out menu was Arabic food.

The survey suggests that residents in the UAE are also a health-conscious crowd with 28% of respondents considering themselves “health nuts. More than two-thirds of those surveyed also say they don’t have a sweet tooth.”

Conclusions

Surveys like this help companies such as LivingSocial in their efforts to target deals. It would make little sense for a daily dealer to offer food vouchers on those foods that are not favored. Even though the survey was conducted on a small amount of residents, it also shows that there may be a tremendous opportunity considering how often it appears that UAE residents dine out.

Source: The Gulf Today

Short URL: http://www.dailydealmedia.com/?p=26611

Dubai: Corruption rife in Dubai hotel F&B supply chain

salama — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:29:34 +0000

Bribery in the sale of poor-quality food and beverage products to hotels in Dubai is common, industry sources have told Hotelier Middle East.

Yesterday, Hotelier Middle East reported that the head chef and the butcher at the Burj Al Arab were being tried in court for taking kickbacks of nearly AED 900,000 in return for buying poor-quality food at inflated prices from four suppliers.

“It’s getting quite bad; it makes it really difficult to do business. For somebody that doesn’t have deep pockets or is not open to these unethical practices, it is very difficult,” commented Prairie Halal Foods general manager Wahid Kandil, Dubai.

Kandil said the suppliers were driving the practice of offering kickbacks: “But these individuals in the hotels shouldn’t buy into such unethical practice, and they’re the ones encouraging it by accepting it,” he added.

A Dubai hotel purchase and cost control manager, who did not wish to be named told Hotelier: “Kickbacks are not only in food and beverage, but also in engineering, pre-opening projects, purchase of furniture fixture and equipments and operating stocks and equipments.

“Kick backs are received in all levels. For example how many financial controllers make it a point to check engineering-related items? Did they check their prices in the market? Were these really needed? To whom were annual maintenance contracts awarded? These are higher kickbacks,” said the manager.

“Lower level employees, for example the receiving clerk who is in-charge of receiving goods. He can be bribed by a fruit and vegetable vendor to receive less. If the order was for 35kgs of tomatoes, then he would be receiving only 25kgs physically whereas the invoice would show 35kgs. These are some of the examples and there are more,” he added.

Former Taj Hotel Dubai executive chef Joe Vock also claimed that bribery was a “problem” in the market.

“It affects all hotels here as a lot of them aren’t buying the best product that is available because the guys are taking kickbacks, especially in the purchasing departments.”

Marcus Dudley, director of food and beverage, Moevenpick Hotel Jumeirah Beach, said he personally hadn’t been offered a bribe.

“But we had suspicioun about six months ago that one of our employees was involved in that, but no proof and we called in about five different suppliers and asked them directly and of course they said ‘no’ and were highly offended, whether they were involved in it or not,” he said.

Dudley attributed part of the problem to some hotel purchasing and receiving procedures in this part of the world.

“Traditionally in hotels you’d have a purchasing department and the purchasing manager oversees the receiving, but in our hotel that’s completely different.

“We have a purchasing manager who reports to the finance director and the receiving department is independent to the purchasing manager and reports as well to the finance department, so the guy who’s buying the things is not receiving the things, the two don’t meet.”

However, the hotel has recently introduced procedures to help prevent potential scams.

“We have introduced this year that – from sales and marketing contracts to food and beverage contracts – there needs to be a minimum of two signatures from a company’s side, where as before any one manager could do a deal and sign off. It’s a safety mechanism,” said Dudley.

Ibn Battuta Gate executive chef Tunji Oladipo, who has worked in Dubai for 11 years, asserted that such corruption is not a new problem in the emirate’s hotel sector.

“It’s always been the case everywhere, when I worked in London it was the same situation, it’s just become a little more aggressive recently because all the suppliers are going down the same route, supplying the same type of things – there aren’t a lot of specialist items.

“There has always been a lot of supplier buttering up, not so much bribes with money – but gifts and things like that and now they are a little more aggressive,’ added Oladipo.

Malaysia: Malay Chamber to facilitate QSR stake buy

salama — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:00:30 +0000

Business Times

The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) has offered to facilitate, on behalf of the Tabung Haji Board, Amanah Saham Mara Bhd and Felda, the purchase of Kulim Bhd’s interest in QSR Brands Bhd worth over RM1 billion.

DPMM chairman Syed Ali Al Attas said the chamber’s move would prevent QSR becoming a private company if it is taken over by Johor Corp Bhd (JCorp).

JCorp now owns 53 per cent of Kulim, which has a 57.5 per cent stake in QSR, which in turn owns 50.6 per cent of KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd (KFCH).

Syed Ali said invitation letters to the three entities will be sent today and their decisions are expected to be known tomorrow.

DPMM, he said, hopes Tabung Haji will not sell its 23 per cent stake in KFCH as this would affect the development of the halal industry.

“It would also contradict the government’s wish to see the participation of Malays and locals in the halal business,” he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

He also expressed concern that such a buyout would deny business opportunities for existing local entrepreneurs.

Syed Ali added DPMM would discuss with the three entities on the chamber’s offer of RM6.90 per QSR share compared to the RM6.80 offered by JCorp, adding he does not rule out the possibility of DPMM owning a stake in QSR.

On Dec 14, JCorp offered, through Massive Equity Sdn Bhd (MESB), to acquire 100 per cent of the businesses and undertakings of KFCH and QSR, including substantially all their assets and liabilities.

MESB is a special vehicle jointly owned by JCorp (51 per cent) and private equity fund CVC Capital Partners Asia Pacific (49 per cent).

Seven days later, the Boards of KFCH and QSR accepted the takeover offer and said categorically that they do not intend to seek any alternative bids. — BERNAMA

USA: Food Safety Eclipses Rising Food Costs as Top Food Story of 2011

salama — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:14:50 +0000

Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak Tops List in Annual Survey Commissioned by Hunter Public Relations

NEW YORK, NY, Dec 08, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Food safety tops the list of an annual survey asking Americans to choose the most significant food story of 2011. Even in a year when global food prices hit record highs and both restaurant menus and retail food labels got a new look, the safety of the American food supply dominated the headlines and consumers took notice. The survey was commissioned by Hunter Public Relations, a leading public relations agency specializing in the food and beverage industry.

Now in its ninth year, the Hunter PR food survey provides a look back at the top food-related stories of each year. To compile the 2011 list, the Hunter PR Food Group collaborated with industry experts, including Phil Lempert, editor of Supermarket Guru; Regina Ragone, food director of Family Circle; Elizabeth Fassberg, owner of food and nutrition consultancy Eat Food; Brad Thompson, chef and restaurant consultant; and Megan Steintrager, freelance food writer and editor. After polling 1,000 Americans, the following were named the top three food-related stories of 2011:

#1: Twenty-Nine Deaths Caused by Cantaloupe Listeria Outbreak To date, 29 people have died, and another 133 were made ill from tainted cantaloupe in 2011. Traced to bacteria growing on packing equipment at Colorado’s Jensen Farms, the incident is already the second largest listeria outbreak in U.S. history.

#2: First Lady Michelle Obama with USDA Unveils MyPlate, Replaces Food Pyramid For the second year in a row, First Lady Michelle Obama was part of one of the top food stories of the year. Together with the USDA, she revealed MyPlate, the new dietary guidelines campaign, replacing the 20-year-old food pyramid.

#3: Global Food Prices Hit Record High The number three spot finds its home at the intersection of food and finance: global food prices skyrocketed in 2011, putting pressure on the restaurant, travel and hotel industries. To avoid passing costs to consumers, companies are scrambling to renegotiate contracts, find cheaper suppliers and reconfigure menus.

The survey also revealed how consumer behavior was impacted by these stories and how these stories will affect Americans in the coming year.

Digesting Food News

Canada: Coffee is the newest battleground for fast food giants

salama — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 03:10:35 +0000

By Steve Mertl

There’s some irony in news that McDonald’s and Tim Hortons are jumping into the high-end coffee business.

Starbucks, the omni-present purveyor of lattes and espressos was probably most responsible for raising the bar on what constitutes good coffee. But with a Starbucks practically on every corner, it’s become the McDonald’s of coffee in some people’s minds, a mega corporation whose core product is getting mediocre reviews.

But what a lot of us aren’t prepared to admit is the Seattle-based company changed the way we view our daily jolt. The evidence is in the fact two of Canada’s biggest fast-food chains are moving into what the Toronto Star notes is a a $1-billion annual market.

Tim Hortons, home of the double-double, has announced it will install espresso machines in a thousand of its locations this month.

McDonald’s which had already upgraded its brewed coffee and bolstered it with free promotions, launched a national media campaign for its McCafe espresso brand.

“This is no longer fast food. ” McDonald’s Canada president John Betts told the Star this week. “This is great food served fast.”

Tim’s, the country’s biggest fast-food chain, expects to have espresso machines in 2,500 of its 3,000 locations by mid-December. McDonalds is installing the McCafe setup in its 1,400 Canadian locations as part of a billion-dollar makeover.

Both plan to undercut Starbucks, with Tim’s offering 10-ounce espresso-based drinks starting at $2, while McDonald’s will charge $2.29, compared with $3.52 at Starbucks.

McDonald’s is backing its effort with a major ad campaign that includes coupons for a free espresso mailed to almost every Canadian home.

The key to the expansion of espresso drinks has been the evolution in the way they’re made. Espresso was once limited to exotic little coffee bars and Italian restaurants, prepared with big, shiny machines that hissed steam.

Starbucks popularized espresso drinks and their baristas manually made lattes and cappuccinos to order, even if the espresso itself was no longer hand-pressed. But new espresso machines are largely automated in preparing all drinks, making them viable for fast food restaurants.

The brewed-coffee landscape is also changing. Wendy’s is introducing a new custom-roast, freshly ground brew at about 100 Canadian locations, the Globe and Mail reports.

In fact, a Globe blind taste test by a panel of coffee experts ranked Wendy’s Redhead Roasters Coffee ahead of McDonald’s, Tim Hortons and Starbucks. The endorsement of Wendy’s coffee was half-hearted but Starbucks’ brew got roasted, so to speak, with terms such as bitter, burnt toast and charred.

USA: Taft Food Masters to Launch the Halal Certified Seitan Vegetarian Gyro

salama — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:10:34 +0000

New York City, NY (MMD Newswire) October 20, 2011 — A Recipe for Success! Taft Food Masters to Launch the Halal Certified Seitan Vegetarian Gyro

What: Is there life after the falafels? Join us on Thursday Nov 10th, for the NYC launch and sample tasting of the delectable, Halal certified wheat based (not soy based), 100% natural, seitan vegetarian gyro.

Who: This product launch event will be hosted by Taftfoodmasters, an independent food service developer of all natural, nutritious recipes and food products for the restaurant trade. Taft Foodmasters has also been appearing in recent news, including a visit from the Honorable New York Mayor Bloomberg while exhibiting at the New York City’s incubator program at the Entrepreneur Space in Queens.

Why: Vegetarian eating has made the top trend list for 2011, which means more and more of us are looking for healthier food options. Restaurateurs, corporations and other like institutions are also exploring other options to make their menus healthier. Taft Foodmasters’s vegetarian gyro and sausage pizza topping are menu options meant to add as a high-protein, wheat-based vegetarian option. Up until now, there was just a falafel to offer vegetarians! The launch of the vegetarian gyro is a great opportunity for foodies, distributors, wholesalers and local restaurants to sample the Halal certified seitan gyro and seitan sausage pizza topping. Both products will be served with accompanying Mediterranean food and refreshing beverages, including beer and wine.

Who Should Attend: Food bloggers, wholesalers, distributors, magazine editors, chefs, restaurateurs, caterers, food stylists and vegetarians. International interest in this product has been very strong.

When: Thursday, November 10th, 2011 at 12:30-3:30 PM

Where: Sub-Zero and Wolf Showroom Manhattan 150 East 58th St, 5th Floor New York, NY 10155.

RSVP: jessica@taftfoodmasters.comor info@applesandorangesny.comor call 888-371-4718.

To learn more about the seitan gyro, please click here to check out our latest commercial or visit www.taftfoodmasters.com.

Finding Halal certified food in Thailand

salama — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:12:11 +0000

(TRAVPR.COM) BANGKOK – October 10th, 2011 – Everyone knows that Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, but not everyone is aware of the significant Muslim, Christian, and animist populations living within the Kingdom. Indeed, the presence of Muslims from Persia and what was then known as Malaya dates back many centuries; accordingly, they are well assimilated into Thai society in a number of locations.

When it comes to delicious food, many religions are very open to sharing their dishes, provided it meets their dietary guidelines, of course. In fact, you will find genuine halal certificates posted in many Muslim restaurants throughout the Kingdom, and these are truly authentic, certified by the two main Muslim bodies in Thailand: The Central Islamic Committee of Thailand and the Institute for Halal Food Standard of Thailand.

Thailand, being popular with visitors from Muslim countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Middle East, has a wide variety of halal eateries, from the most basic street-side stalls and restaurants to the most exclusive hotels in the country. In fact, Muslim dishes have long been popular through all classes of Thai society, from the most humble farmers to the early Kings of Rattanakosin, who noted that several Muslim dishes were among their favorites.

Though the vast majority of Muslim Thais live in the southern provinces of Trang, Satun, Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, there are also substantial Muslim communities in Songkhla, Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai. Halal food can easily be found not only in these major cities, but also in many smaller towns throughout Thailand. In fact, most shopping complexes have food courts selling at least a few halal dishes; simply look for the Halal sign or Arabic banner that these vendors have on display.

Of course, given its location nearby Malaysia, Hat Yai has many excellent halal restaurants featuring Muslim food that is most similar to that found in Malaysia. Popular restaurants in Hat Yai with halal certification include Darbar Restaurant, the Kosit Hotel, Novotel Centara Hat Yai, Salma Restaurant, Hamid Restaurant, and many others.
Halal food is fairly plentiful in Krabi and Phuket as well. Krabi has a wide variety of excellent choices, including Yamgha Kitchen, Ruankloymai Restaurant at the Aonang Orchid Resort, the Sand Sea Resort, Sunrise Tropical Resort, Rabeab’s Kitchen, Kor-Bua Restaurant, as well as a wide array of smaller establishments.

In Phuket, you’ll find many choices of halal restaurants, especially in Patong and Phuket town. There are many, mostly Indian restaurants, in the JungCeylon Mall area, and many Kashmiri restaurants in Karon. The Royal Paradise Hotel and Dirham Halal Restaurant are two popular halal restaurants in Phuket.

Bangkok certainly has a great selection of venues for excellent halal dining. There are too many places to mention in the Muslim communities in Bangkok such as Phra Khanong, Bang Rak, Phetchaburi Soi 7, and the Bangkok Noi areas.

You will also find halal food and Muslim restaurants along Silom Road and the popular Muslim area on Sukhumvit Soi 3 (known as Nana Nua). This Muslim neighborhood is also known as “Little Arabia,” and there are accordingly many restaurants, of many styles, catering to the Muslim community.

Mak Yah Restaurant, on Petchaburi, is a popular halal restaurant run by Thai Muslims who also speak Malay. Another popular site for Muslim dining is the Indra Square area, where there are a number of good eateries in the open market area.

The larger, better known Muslim restaurants include Aeisah Rosdee and Sara Halal in Banglamphu; Eat’s My World in Central World; Al Tara in Din Daeng, Bawarchi on Ploenchit in the InterContinental; Deen Restaurant on Silom; and Al-Sana on Ratchaprarop in the Pratunam area.

A number of chain restaurants throughout Thailand, such as KFC, Chester’s Grill, and A&W will be halal as well. Look for the certificate on the wall or ask to be certain.

Finally, the great northern city of Chiang Mai has long been home to a number of Muslim communities, both Yunnanese and Bengali, or South Asian, resulting in the wide availability of delicious Muslim food. There are 16 mosques in Chiang Mai, but the main area is around the northern end of the Night Market, near the river, along Chang Klan and Charoen Prathet Roads.

Among the most popular of the Muslim restaurants is Asma, on Chang Klan Road, and Jen Pao Restaurant on Sriphum Road. The Night Market area also boasts two other favorites: the Arabia Restaurant in Anusarn Market and the nearby Shere Shiraz, virtually a landmark.

You can mix with an assortment of ethnicities here while enjoying Chiang Mai’s signature dish, the succulent khao soi, a chicken curry-type dish with noodles served with chilli paste and pickled vegetables.

Or you may wish to treat yourself, in the same area, to a chicken or mutton biryani, honey-grilled duck dishes, or chicken or beef sateh skewers, plus many more wonderful dishes. Afterwards, you can walk off your feast along the banks of the nearby Ping River, perhaps discussing or surveying which restaurant you will dine in later that evening.

Muslim Pro Has 850,000 Downloads

salama — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 14:41:56 +0000

By Willis Wee

If you’re a Muslim who owns an iOS or/and Android-powered phone, you might consider installing the Muslim Pro app on your smartphone. It provides useful information for Muslim faithfuls, including prayer times, an azan clock, the Quran, Halal restaurants, mosques, and the Qibla locator.

I spoke with Erwan Mace, the founder of Muslim Pro, a couple of days ago. He tells me that his app has gathered a whopping 850,000 unique downloads… Aaaaand three million downloads if we include updates. The app is free for all to use and also includes in-app purchases if users are looking for premium content.

Erwan runs Bitsmedia, a two-year old app development start-up, which creates mobile apps for him and for his clients. Besides Muslim Pro, the social app finder Frenzapp is another Bitsmedia production. Launched just recently, this app has gathered around 20,000 users. Things were starting to get fun when Google offered him a job…

We had coffee at Starbucks, and as Erwan took a sip, he told me that joining Google is something that he could not refuse. “Google is a company whose products, vision and people I have admired for a long time,” he explained.

Now note that Google didn’t acquire Bitsmedia to get Erwan onboard. Erwan is humble enough to admit that he approached Google first and will be joining them soon as… Take a deep breath — Program Manager, Developer Relations, South-East Asia.

Erwan said that his new role at Google would be to spread its technology with developers in Southeast Asia. He explained that most Google users would see the company as a search engine, online video (YouTube), and email provider (Gmail). And more advanced users will know about useful tools like Adwords or Docs.

But fewer people know about App Engine and the many APIs which Google has to offer. Instead of developers reaching out to Google, Google is now going after developers to provide them with what they need.

“The focus of the Developer Relations team is actually to animate the community and advocate technologies and API around Android development, App Engine, Chrome, etc…,” said Erwan.

The developer relations team at Google SEA is a newly established department which only consists of Erwan for now. Previously, it was run by a Googler from Mountain View who would visit Southeast Asia occasionally to engage with developers. The decision to finally bring in someone full-time – and local – shows the need and importance of building good relationships and mind-share within the developers community.

As for Bitsmedia, Erwan says that he has stopped accepting clients and is looking for buyers for Frenzapp. Muslim Pro will continue to be his pet app as there isn’t any conflict with any Google products. “Well, it takes very little time to manage anyway,” he said.

USA: How Starbucks Transformed Coffee From A Commodity Into A $4 Splurge

salama — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 19:59:47 +0000

Fast Company

BY Debbie Millman

Stanley Hainsworth has been a catalyst for the great brands of modern times. He was creative director at Nike and then Lego. He was vice president global creative at Starbucks in an era when the coffee purveyor was experiencing phenomenal growth. Starbucks has been hailed, acknowledged, and praised again and again for its excellence in branding and marketing, in creating a branded experience that can satisfy the connoisseur, bring in new converts, be accessible to all, and irresistible in its appeal. Stanley defined the very feel of Starbucks in an era when the brand was becoming a cultural icon.

Stanley has a reputation for being extremely rigorous in his work, comprehensively rethinking brands when necessary, and helping them to expand into new areas of endeavor while remaining true to their original identity. As he had done at Nike, he helped Lego expand into entertainment properties that allowed the company to gracefully enter the brand multiverse. At Starbucks, he created an innovative criteria of five filters–handcrafted, artistic, sophisticated, human, and enduring–that defined the work for the company. Stanley’s extraordinarily thorough approach to design and branding is complemented by an equally good nature; he has been a revered colleague and mentor at the companies where he worked.

With such an extraordinary range of experience, Stanley has become ever more articulate about how brands work, and he has now devoted himself at Tether to invigorating existing brands and crafting new ones. Having guided brands at companies that have gone through dramatic growth spurts–or needed to move on to a new phase–he has compelling thoughts about how brands stay relevant and authentic as they get older and grow. Many brands have lost their way in the process of evolving from a small company to a much bigger corporation. Finding themselves disoriented, they must reassess. “In order for brands to recapture their spirit, they almost always go back to their core,” he says. Authenticity in branding requires a step by step, measured methodology that doesn’t veer from a brand’s key identity. Certain brands have not been able to articulate that, and Stanley’s comment about Microsoft never having told its story was wonderfully sharp.

In this interview, Stanley reveals his secrets about the magic that helped to create a brand that conquered the world. The sensation that is Starbucks required elements of wisdom, integrity, showmanship, and intelligence. I got the sense talking with Stanley that each of the points he made–about Starbucks and other topics–could be explained in even greater detail. Each could have its own commentary in which Stanley unfolds, like an accordion, the full three-dimensionality of his experience and insight.

Stanley speaks here about the importance of vision. It is a theme that can’t be emphasized enough. Nike had vision. Starbucks had vision. Stanley shares an insider’s view of the Starbucks’s history, and it’s interesting to learn that even Starbucks CEO Howard Scultz didn’t fully realize his company’s potential for growth. But he had a vision, and he, like the leaders of Nike, were relentless in bringing this to fruition and using it to craft the brand experience. Rigor in matching the vision to the brand experience is essential, and that must define every brand touchpoint. As Stanley says, “No one is going to pick up your product and try it if they don’t want to buy into the experience.” The man has vision.

Stanley, how would you define “brand”?

A brand is an entity that engenders an emotional connection with a consumer.

What do you mean by an “emotional connection”?

Consumers emotionally connect with brands when the brands repeatedly provide something that the consumer wants, desires, or needs.

Let’s return to the moment a person first realizes they have to make a choice between coffee brands or soda brands or shampoo brands. How do people really make choices? Do you think people are conscious of the processes they use?

I think the best brands are those that create something for consumers that they don’t even know they need yet. A coffee brand like Starbucks created something people didn’t know they needed. Same with Nike. Who knew we needed a high-end performance running shoe? I think when people are surprised or delighted by how a brand can change their lives by just making it a little bit better–or a little bit more fun or a little more performance-oriented–that’s when they start creating a connection with that brand.

The concept of a person not knowing that they need something is a fascinating one. Clearly, there were millions of coffee shops all over the world before Starbucks launched its particular brand of coffee shop. How do marketers create desire for something that consumers don’t know they need?

I think great brands create the “end state” first. When launching a new product, marketers are not very specific about how a product actually works. They express more about the result. They talk about what you will feel or what you will be like if you choose to engage with that brand or that product. The Apple commercial in 1984 was a great example of this. There was very little about the product in the spot. It was all about the aftereffect of the product.

During your tenure at Starbucks, how deliberate were the choices that the Starbucks marketing team was making? Were they very intentionally creating a scenario and an environment that people would want to experience?

I think it was very deliberate from the beginning. When Howard Schultz first came to Starbucks, he wasn’t the owner of the company. He joined a couple guys that had started the company. He went over to Milan and saw the coffee culture and espresso bars where people met in the morning. He saw how people caught up on the news while they sat or stood and drank their little cups of espresso. That inspired the vision he crafted from the beginning–to design a social environment where people not only came for great coffee, but also to connect to a certain culture.

Howard was very wise in knowing that Starbucks was not the only company in the world to make great coffee. On the contrary, there are hundreds of other companies that can make great coffee. So what’s the great differentiator? The answer is the distinction that most great brands create. There are other companies that make great running shoes or great toys or great detergent or soap, but what is the real differentiator that people keep coming back for? For Starbucks, it was creating a community, a “third place.” It was a very conscious attribute of the brand all along and impacted every decision about the experience: who the furniture was chosen for, what artwork would be on the walls, what music was going to be played, and how it would be played.

Did Howard anticipate that Starbucks would grow as quickly as it did and become as pervasive? Was his goal to create a global brand?

I think the vision was always for Starbucks to become a global brand. There were big ambitions from the beginning. I once asked Howard how it felt to have thousands of people here in our offices, and thousands of people in thousands of stores all over the world working for the brand. He just looked at me and shook his head and said, “I had no idea that it could become this.”

Over the course of your career, you’ve worked in three different companies that have an iconic role in our culture. With two of them, Starbucks and Nike, the products are sold at a very high premium. Both organizations have taken commodity products and turned them into desirable, sexy, coveted products that incite enormous loyalty and an almost zealotlike behavior. Do you see a common denominator in the way these products are marketed? Would you say that there’s something that these companies have in common that has generated this fervor?

What I observed working in both companies is the rigor and unfailing attention to the product, and the unbelievable energy spent on creating the brand experience. I describe it as experience first and product second, because no one is going to pick up your product and try it if they don’t want to buy into the experience. This experience comes through the advertising, the retail environment, and the online experience–every single brand touchpoint. There is a very intentional effort to inspire people to get caught up in that experience and say, “I want to try that”–whatever that thing happens to be.

What is the most important aspect to consider when creating a brand?

For me, it’s all about having a story to tell. This is what will enable you to create an experience around the brand.

What do you mean by “a story”?

Every brand has a story, whether it’s the founder’s story or the brand’s reason for being. Some brands have never told their story well, or have lost their story. Microsoft is a good example of a brand that’s never told its story well. It’s a huge consumer product software platform, a mega conglomerate, and there’s no love there. There’s no emotional story to rally around. The Bill Gates story is such an incredible story, but it’s never really been expressed by the brand.

It’s really interesting to watch brands get older, and gain more competitors in the marketplace, and struggle to stay relevant. Look at Levi’s or Gap or any of the great American brands that have gone through these struggles. Look at Starbucks! In order for brands to recapture their spirit, they almost always go back to their core. They seem to forget for a while, then remember, “Oh yeah, we’re a coffee company!” Then they get rid of the movies and the spinning racks filled with CDs and start focusing on coffee again.

What if the brand manager of Kraft American cheese asked you to develop its story? How do you create a story if something is essentially manufactured?

You go back to the essence of the brand. Why was it made? What need did it fill? Go back to the origins of a brand and identify how it connected to consumers and how it became a relevant, “loved by families” product. What were the origins of this story? Whether we’re talking about Tropicana orange juice or Kraft American cheese — these products were all created to fill a niche. Why? That’s where you’ll find your story.

What would likely be the next step after defining or developing a story?

You develop a story, and then you start to identify who the consumers are. Who are you talking to? How are you going to talk to them? How are you going to tell your story to them? What are your opportunities or your channels through which you can tell that story? Do we need to design some new products, or do we need to redesign our existing products because they aren’t true to our story? Or maybe you determine that your products are fine, but you haven’t been talking to your consumers in the right way, so it’s a communication issue. Examine every touchpoint and look at how you can tell one clear, consistent story.

People who aren’t very experienced with branding, or are new at it, sometimes feel that they can get away with something being off-brand. But I think that genuinely good branding involves an examination of every single way the brand, the product, and the experience is viewed. Everything that you do, everything you release, everything you say — everything is the cumulative expression of your brand.

What made you decide to work with brands in the first place?

As an American, my earliest days were immersed in brands. Brands became my acquaintances and friends as I grew up. When I got old enough to understand what was going on, I couldn’t help but wonder about all that power.

What brands did you have emotional connections to when you were younger?

I think boys always remember their first really nice pair of running shoes. Mine were Adidas. I remember them exactly–I remember what they smelled like, what they looked like. I remember every single detail about them.

What made you want those shoes?

I loved the look of them. I even remember going to buy them. I had earned money mowing lawns. I went to the sporting goods store in Benton, Kentucky, the nearest town that had a sporting goods store–the little town where I grew up didn’t have one. I looked at the shelf, and those were the shoes that called out to me. Even now, when I go into sporting goods stores or shoe stores now and see the huge wall of shoes, I see that one style of shoe — Adidas still makes them — and I have a deep connection to them.

How did you feel when you first put on that first pair of shoes?

I felt like I had joined another world. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had joined the world of consumers. Suddenly, I liked the feeling of earning money, of buying something, and then enjoying it. That started my dangerous journey of buying footwear and apparel over the years.

Did that experience of wearing the shoes — which you had wanted so badly — make you feel better about yourself?

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Why or how do you think that happens?

If the brand has been advertised widely, then you’ve just bought your way into a world that you’ve only seen from the outside. The experience is like when there’s a club that you keep walking by, and you finally enter that club, and now you’re a part of it.

Do you think that there’s any danger in that?

That’s what brands play on. It’s part of our nature to want to be accepted. Yet, at the same time, we have this desire to feel like we’re different from everyone else — which is the complete opposite of that yearning for acceptance but is nonetheless relevant. I found that strategy particularly intriguing — when brands create things that make you feel like you’re different from everyone else.

I remember being in London in the 1970s and first seeing punks in Trafalgar Square. They had their hair “Mohawked” up, and they wore jackets covered in safety pins. I couldn’t help but imagine them at home, preparing themselves to go out, in order to look very different from anyone in their household or in their neighborhood. But once they were out, they looked exactly like everyone else in Trafalgar Square.

No matter how hard we try to look different, we almost always still look like someone. Once a lot of people get access into an exclusive club, the original members get turned off and leave to find another smaller, more exclusive club to join. I have often wondered if I should feel guilty because of my role in this. On the one hand, it is disturbing, but on the other hand, I admire it.

But as much as I believe in this, I also realize that no one has to have those products. You can live without them — they’re not essential to life. I’ve probed deep in my soul to see if I felt bad doing this work, but I never have. I have never felt guilty.

Are you somehow disappointed that you don’t feel guilty?

No. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s like entertainment. If I write a book or make a movie, I’m going to promote the hell out of it. It’s the same thing in any arena. I make a shoe, and I’m going to promote it and try to get people to buy it. It’s all part of making a living. Some people sell coffee, some people sell bread, some people sell shoes, some people sell toys.

I remember leaving work several years ago, when I was still at Starbucks. I felt so good after a whole day of working with everyone and critiquing everything. At the end of the day I suddenly realized, “Wow, I am really good at this.” I knew I could make emotional connections between consumers and products and brands and things. I’ve achieved a level of expertise in the same way that a doctor or an accountant who practices for many years gets really good at what he does. We practice for years and years and years, and we learn all of the techniques. And then we make up new techniques and new ways to do things. And we get really, really good.

Precisely for that reason, you were brought in by Pepsi to resuscitate Gatorade after a failed brand reinvention. What did you do to resuscitate it?

I borrowed a lot of what I learned from my years at Nike. Gatorade needed a culture of innovation. For the last few years, their only innovation was related to introducing new flavors. That’s not innovation. They needed to start creating products again that showed that they were the leader in both hydration and in sports drinks. I came in and developed a strategy to help them do that. I worked directly with the CEO to design a new identity for the brand, as well as for the products. Then I created the overall brand guidelines. It was a great experience.

What’s it like to start working with a brand when it’s in the middle of a disaster?

You only have one place to go, and that’s up. Are they bringing back the Gatorade name? The G logo is being used in the same way as Nike uses its swoosh. Gatorade is the name of the brand and the company, and the G is the equivalent of the swoosh. The company had gone a bit overboard when it got rid of the Gatorade moniker, and now it’s coming back to help reidentify the brand.

Did you do a lot of market research in the process of working on this project?

Yes, we did a lot of market research. It was interesting coming to this considering my background at Nike, where ideas were validated by gut instinct, not the consumer.

Wow, that’s amazing.

Starbucks was pretty much the same way. As Howard Schultz used to say, “If I went to a group of consumers and asked them if I should sell a $4 cup of coffee, what would they have told me?” Both Starbucks and Nike have modified their position on market research now, and do more of it, but they aren’t like a P&G-type organization where they do heavy-duty qualitative and quantitative market research. When I left Nike, that type of validation was foreign territory for me. I had to learn it all afterwards.

What do you think of the state of branding right now?

I think branding has become a consumer-friendly word. It’s being used in political campaigns, and it’s being used in the boardroom. Schools have even started to talk about branding. On the one hand, there’s a danger the word will become watered down and less meaningful than it has been in the past. On the other hand, it will be fascinating to see how communicators use this opportunity. We have the ability to lead this cultural shift, and I hope we can do it before the term “branding” becomes just another generic, overused, and misunderstood word.

Reprinted with permission from BRAND THINKING by Debbie Millman, Allworth Press.