'Different Strokes' Approach Can Damage a Brand
One fundamental element of building a brand relationship with customers is consistency. Widely franchised companies like Starbucks compromise consistency, however. They employ several different business models instead of sticking to one. This approach confuses customers and hurts the master brand, since customers never really know what to expect. Because Starbucks uses different business models, depending on store locations, certain customers have become distrustful of the brand, which ultimately hurts the company.