Furthermore, espresso’s resources/capabilities are rare because the company holds
over 1,700 patents that protect the company’s products (Alich, 2013), processes, and
brand. Moreover, espresso’s advertising strategy to position the company as a luxury,
aspirational lifestyle brand, with George Clooney and Penélope Cruz as spokespeople,
contributes to its uniqueness. Next, espresso is difficult to imitate because brand
reputation and strong customer relationships are historically grown