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Localized Korean Starbucks says ‘being unique goes long way’

March 10, 2014
Signboard for Starbucks store near The Westin Chosun’s rear entrance, Sogong-dong, Seoul.

Signboard for Starbucks store near The Westin Chosun’s rear entrance, Sogong-dong, Seoul.

Signboard for one in Insa-dong, Seoul

Signboard for one in Insa-dong, Seoul

Signboard for one in Gyeongbok Palace Subway Station

Signboard for one in Gyeongbok Palace Subway Station

By Ko Dong-hwan

Global coffee stalwart Starbucks looks different in Sogong-dong in downtown Seoul. It’s the “golden” signboard bearing the brand name up on the store’s facade, unlike the green signboard with the name in white shared by some 19,000 stores across the globe.

Foreign tourists often take pictures in front of the store, witnessing a signboard they have never seen anywhere before.

The store, located near The Westin Chosun’s rear entrance, stands on ground marked by historical significance, which is why it was given the unique signboard color.

Princess Gyeongjeong, second daughter of Joseon Kingdom’s third crowned King Taejong, lived where the hotel now stands after getting married. Citizens back then called the spot “small princess street,” where small princess translates to “so gong” in Chinese-based Korean.

The store’s manager Seo Gyu-oek said he introduced the golden signboard to prioritize cultural localization, preserving historical values of the site. The golden color symbolizes tradition and regal imagery, according to the manager.

There are other Korean Starbucks distinguished by unique appearances based on localization. Locations in Insa-dong, Gwanghwamun, Gyeongbok Palace and Anguk Stations welcome customers with signboards where the brand is written in Korean, a rare exclusivity only seen in this part of neighborhood.

The one in Insa-dong, which opened 2001, is the world’s first Starbucks store with a signboard written in local language.