- Elena Malykhina

Starbucks has appointed Annie Young-Scrivner as global chief marketing officer. In her new role, which begins later this month, Young-Scrivner will oversee the brand's worldwide marketing and product strategy.

Young-Scrivner formerly served as CMO and vp of sales for Quaker Foods and Snacks, a unit of PepsiCo. Prior to that, she was chairman and region president of PepsiCo for Greater China, and handled various global brands, including Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker, Tropicana and Gatorade.

“Annie brings a wealth of knowledge in international business and a proven track record in global marketing and product strategy, including health and wellness,” said Starbucks president and CEO Howard Schultz, in a statement.

Additionally, Starbucks this week tapped Michelle Gass for the newly created role of president of Seattle’s Best Coffee. Gass, a 13-year Starbucks vet, most recently served as evp of marketing and category. She will lead the new business unit of Seattle’s Best Coffee, per the company.

Starbucks' marketing efforts have been rigorous of late, particularly online. In July, the coffee chain surpassed Coca-Cola as the most popular brand on Facebook, with more than 3.6 million fans, per InsideFacebook.com, a blog that tracks the social network. Starbucks has been actively experimenting with social media and growing the brand's presence there. In an interview with Brandweek, Starbucks digital strategy director Alexandra Wheeler said the company has implemented an aggressive digital and social media strategy.

In June, Starbucks launched a major overhaul of its food menu in a move to position itself better against competitors like McDonald's. Several new products were added, while other products were revamped to include more natural ingredients. Ads, via BBDO, New York, promoting the new menu ran in several national newspapers.