When Customers Outgrow Your Market.

It's every marketer's dream to educate a new audience and create a category. Starbucks did just that - they introduced a new vocabulary of lattes, mochas and cappuccinos to the world.

But marketers must never forget that education is a continuum. That audience now knows all about lattes, mochas and cappuccinos. They know the difference between a good one and an average one. And that's one reason why Starbucks just posted its first quarterly loss.

Consistency is good. Consistently improving is essential.