Back in mid 2011 I noted that Starbucks had been performing strongly.
I also noted the lack of consultants predicting this rebound. People who pitch these brand equity metrics claim they can predict future consumer behaviour and brand performance (even sharemarket performance). But evidence shows their predictions are lousy. I chuckled when BrandZ at long last caught up with the stock market and ranked Apple as the most valuable brand.
Back to Starbucks… when would the brand equity firms catch up?
Then mid 2012 BrandZ announced that Starbucks had made its list of top increases in brand value with a staggering 43% increase over their 2011 valuation.
Hardly much of a prediction when Starbucks had just announced their 11th consecutive record breaking quarter!
A few months later and BrandKeys listed Starbucks among their top improvers for 2012 up a massive 55 places in rank (but still far below Dunkin Donuts)!
Why would anyone pay for these brand equity metrics when they can read the news months (even years) earlier by just buying a newspaper?