For my Digital Content class at the University of Minnesota, I researched a current news article involving an organization and analyzed it from the employee perspective. I wrote an intranet article with impactful images, then created a supporting email and a brief text message to drive employee engagement. This project focused on crafting clear, strategic internal communications without a creative brief, using outside research to inform the content.

Corporate Communications
Infographic Creative Brief

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Your Feedback Helps Drive Change: Addressing Our Operational Challenges

Dear Partners,

We know by now many of you have recently experienced challenges regarding order fulfillment as our menu has continued to grow. The heightened amount of online orders paired with the complexity – from order customizations – has added to the challenges of completing work in a calm and timely manner. I am writing to let you know that your feedback has been heard; furthermore, it has reached the highest levels within our organization with our CEO Laxman Narasimhan directly commenting on these challenges in our recent earnings call.

We are actively taking action based on what we have heard from you all:

Implement streamlined preparation processes for our more complex beverages.
Enhance our digital ordering system so busier periods can be managed.
Review our menu complexity with consideration to successful operational techniques.
Optimize our store layouts to improve efficiency and workflow.

Our hope is that by taking these initiatives shows to you we are reflecting and committing to creating an environment where you all can – and want to – deliver the Starbucks experience.

I encourage you to read our full article posted on the intranet, ‘Addressing Our Challenges Together – We Hear You’ which covers:

Specific challenges currently faced
Solutions actively implemented (short and long-term)
How does it affects you
Implementation for stores

Read the Full Article Here

All of your insights continue to help us work through these challenges together, you are truly invaluable. In the coming weeks, your store managers will share more details about the specific location changes as well as opportunities to participate in discussion feedback sessions.

Thank you for your participation and dedication to our organization and customers, as well as your commitment to each other during this period of adjustment.

Thank you for your time,

[Regional Director Name]

VP of Store Operations

An intranet article focused on operational challenges at Starbucks. The article used employee feedback and outside research to present key issues, outline immediate and long-term solutions, and encourage ongoing organizational engagement and communication.

Article information provided by

Starbucks invests in employees, and order fulfillment to drive customer experience - Bryan Wassel (2025)

Pick a Brand & Topic
Starbucks

Addressing Our Challenges Together
We Hear You

Your feedback is helping to drive positive change…

Throughout the past months, we have received feedback from many of you about the increase in additional menu items that are complex and challenging, especially during busy periods. We want to express to you that leadership is listening to your experiences to make informed changes to operations.

You may have seen our CEO Laxman Narasimhan, during our recent earnings call, acknowledged the challenges and shared the need to address operational difficulties. We have found the situation many of you are facing is:

The expansion of the menu has been overwhelming, especially when paired with seasonal offerings and customization options.
Digital ordering is more popular, there has been an increasing amount of online orders – paired with customization.
Our push for innovation has occasionally outpaced our operational systems.

The combination of these factors has created high tension within the workplace.

Solutions based on your direct feedback are underway; working to improve the tension in the workplace for both employees and customers.

Immediate Improvements →

Streamline Preparation Processes - find any simplifications in steps for our most complex beverages.
Enhance Management for Digital Orders - mobile app updates to better control the pace of incoming orders during peak orders.
Target Staffing Adjustments - ensure that stores are properly covered during heightened order patterns.

Longer-Term Initiatives →

Review Complexity of Menu - consider and evaluate our offerings and operational abilities.
Consider Effective Store Layouts - evaluate and potentially redesign work areas to emphasize efficiency.
Technology Enhancements - effectively use new tools to help predict as well as manage orders.

What does this mean for you?

Store-level sessions focused on Innovation - holding monthly meetings to find points of pain and create solutions.
Digital Platform Suggestions - a section for our partner app to submit ideas for improvements to operations.
Cross-functional groups - the opportunity to join various teams working on a specific challenge.

Moving forward together,

Recognizing that the balance between operational quality and innovation is crucial to our success however delicate it may be. As we work to navigate these challenges together we must remain committed to delivering the unique Starbucks experience our customers expect and love. Furthermore, working to create a work environment that promotes all our worker's ability to thrive.

In the coming weeks, your job as advisor is to pass on to store managers the expectations. Such as sharing more specific details about relevant changes to their location as well as effective communication with their store employees. We also encourage you to promote and participate actively in discussions and continue to share any insights.

We know that together we can craft solutions that make Starbucks even better to work at and visit.

Have any questions or ideas you want to share? Comment below or speak to your advisors and/or store managers about the upcoming discussion and feedback sessions!

Corporate Communications
Infographic Creative Brief

click spinning icons to see full resolution

click to
read
about my
processes

Your Feedback Helps Drive Change: Addressing Our Operational Challenges

Pick a Brand & Topic
Starbucks

Addressing Our Challenges Together
We Hear You

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

Corporate Communications Infographic Creative Brief

click spinning icons to see full resolution

click to read about my processes

Pick a Brand & Topic Starbucks

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

Corporate Communications
Infographic Creative Brief

click to
read
about my
processes

Pick a Brand & Topic
Starbucks