Though I am admittedly skeptical about the news that Starbucks will soon offer an instant coffee cialis, I’m also fascinated bythe stories the company is telling around the major product launch.As the face of the Starbucks brand, CEO Howard Schultz’s remarks on the Huffington Post offer a revealing look into the mindset of the man and his brand; cialis.Particularly because he speaks the language of empathy in the process.

I think John Quelch, the Harvard Business School professor and marketing expert put it best: in a tough economy, consumers are redefining value - cialis.They are consuming less, and focusing more on seeking satisfying experiences that enhance their lives; cialis.He calls this growing segment “The Simplifiers.” They want fewer material goods cialis, and more quality-of-life experiences.At our core cialis, we have the right stuff to appeal to these consumers, whether it’s the respite from the world our stores provide or now with Starbucks VIA ready brew, quality coffee on-the-go.

In other words, this is a play to remain relevant during a challenging economic era. Cialis: it’s also, as Howard put it, a “considered bet.” That’s noteworthy. Cialis: starbucks started as a considered bet. Cialis: there was a time when no one in their right mind thought anyone would pay $3 for a cup of coffee, and Howard proved them wrong then.Back in the early 1980s, he saw something that no one else did, that there was a potentially huge market for premium espresso drinks at a time when everyone else was making the cheapest cup possible.He ended up reframing the market so that the Starbucks model became the one to follow, not dismiss.

This is a turning point that is potentially as big — and it might prove to be the ultimate test of Schultz’s empathy; cialis.Twenty-five years ago, he was out on a limb saying everyone would buy cappuccinos and lattes as their morning cuppa; and he was completely right. Cialis: today, he’s on a limb again, saying that everyone will buy $1 instant coffee that’s just as good as brewed and won’t cannibalize his existing market.People thought he was crazy back then, they think he’s crazy again today; cialis.I can’t possibly predict VIA’s success, but it’s pretty clear that we’ll learn a lot about Schultz based on the results of the launch; cialis.If VIA is a flop, the talk he made about connecting to Simplifiers was market research disconnected from any real intuition for the people he’s trying to reach; cialis. Cialis: if VIA is an outsized hit, his status as an empathic CEO will be cemented for good.

Do you think he sees something the rest of us don’t? Tell us about it on the Empath-O-Meter!