Business over coffee: Starbucks aligns with JWT in India

The brand will finalise a media planning and buying partner shortly.

JWT has won the creative mandate for the soon-to-be-launched premium coffee chain Starbucks in India. The agency's Mumbai office will handle this account.

Highly placed sources in the industry have confirmed the news to afaqs!.

Sources further reveal that the brand will finalise a media planning and buying partner shortly. Apparently, there was no pitch process before the creative duties were handed to JWT. Earlier this year, Starbucks China awarded JWT Shanghai its digital strategy and social media engagement business.

Overseas, Wieden+Kennedy has worked on the Starbucks account prior to 2008, after which BBDO took over the duties.

Through an association with Tata Global Beverages (part of the global Tata Group), Starbucks is all set to launch the brand in the Indian market soon. Early this year, the authorities announced a 50:50 joint venture between the two, called Tata Starbucks Limited. As per the announcement, this company is said to own and operate Starbucks cafés in the country which will be branded as 'Starbucks Coffee - A Tata Alliance'.

Starbucks currently has 17,000 stores around the globe.