Voice

The Starbucks voice is evolving to unite our brand and meet our audience’s needs.

We’re confidently turning down the volume of competing messages to elevate experience, removing obstacles in the way of people finding exactly what they seek at Starbucks. By using both functional and expressive voices, we’ll create more space for brand relevance, connection and joy.

Functional vs. expressive

Functional

Functional means helpful—it organizes things in a clear way and anticipates our audience’s needs, helping customers have an easy, enjoyable experience in-store and online. Used primarily for wayfinding and ordering, this copy is so seamlessly integrated that it calls attention to the product—not itself. Functional doesn’t mean sterile; it means clear.

Expressive

Expressive copy is where our brand personality unfurls with day-making thoughts. We use expressive moments on focal products to present a product truth in a fresh, relevant, interesting way. When we have the space, we tell a passionate coffee story. But even with just a few words, our copy can make you smile—always taking into account where our audience is interacting with us—and making every word count.