Change is inevitable.

And that’s a good thing.
Change is the driving force behind the growth of civilizations, advancement of human society, technological developments and, according to Darwin, the evolution of single celled amoebas into the human species.
Change is also hard. (and scary)
The irrational fear of the unknown that accompanies change is human nature.
Marketing, however, is driven by change. The launch of a new business, product or service provides the basis for a huge advertising and promotional splash. But that new business, product or service introduces a “change” into the market place. And if that introduction isn’t played well, the whole venture careens off a cliff and plummets to a fiery CRASH!!!

Starbucks Launches a New Menu

Navigating the perilous path to change comes to mind because Starbucks (my caffeine pusher of choice) just axed their entire pastry menu (many of which have

been served for nearly two decades) in favor of a whole new menu from famed San Francisco bakery La Boulange.
In the weeks leading up to the change, I actually heard several customers in my local Starbucks nervously inquire about the new menu, one of whom bemoaned the revisions, pledging to buy up all of certain cherished item over the next several weeks.
But the mere fact that these customers were aware of the coming change illustrated a very savvy move on Starbucks part, exemplifying a perfect synergy between marketing and customer service.
The change in menu was well publicized a good three to four months in advance with a full color brochure outlining the entire new menu and a well-educated staff who had already been treated to sample the new baked treats.

Promo Power

As any big time marketer – Proctor and Gamble, General Mills, Kellogg’s – can attest to, launching a new product or rebranding and giving existing product a facelift is an indispensable tool for generating buzz and reviving a tired old brand. In promoting their new menu, Starbucks took full advantage of the positive marketing power inherent in “launching” a brand new menu. And kudos to them, but that’s not the difficult part of this equation…

Managing Customer Expectations and Sensitivities

In a recent Entrepreneur Magazine article, Marketing’s Best Kept Secret, marketing strategist Debra Kaye related a story of a buying a cup of lemonade from a little girl at makeshift street side lemonade stand. Stunned by the drinks tartness, Kaye was informed by the girl’s father (and apparently business partner) supervising from the stoop of their nearby Brownstone: “people have too much sugar these days, so we only put in a quarter of what the recipe called for.” Debra passed by the following day as the girl was closing down her operation for good – apparently the streets of NYC were not ready for “low sugar, high tart” lemonade.
The girl’s father failed to account for the fact the most people have a pretty clear impression of lemonade’s tastes, and diverging from that is a huge turn off to potential customers. Particularly if you don’t warn them up front – a mouth puckering belt of super-sour lemonade can be a real off-putting jolt.
Bringing this full circle to Starbucks, they took a chance of alienating customers by tossing out favorite items. Barring this in mind, however, the Bucks didn’t stray too far a field: They Introduced a new menu that’s fresh, but not foreign, including more than a few options with a definite reflection of old favorites.
And by promoting the new menu months in advance with bright and bold media (brochures and posters) and helpful in-store guidance, Starbucks killed two birds with a single shot:
They observed to current customers sensitivities by providing tons of warning good look at what was coming and a knowledgeable staff to assuage their fears.
And they used the new menu launch to create a positive buzz among the faithful, the casual consumer and the unconverted alike.

Small Business Marketing Takeaway

When you’re making changes, big or small, or even just conducting business as usual, respecting your customer’s sensitivities is a cornerstone of excellent customer service and key to effective marketing.

What About You?

Have you made changes in your products or service offerings that have resulted in customer revolt, whether it was a flurry of complaints or just flat out lost business?
Talkback: Tell us all your grim tales about the horrors of change in your