A Commercial I Like

Brilliant commercial, full of relevant social references. Another reason why Starbucks is a successful company.

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Vote? Free Starbucks for You.

Well, Starbucks has done it again. It's found a well contextualized marketing move to engage the community. The premise is: If you vote, you get free coffee.
Incidentally, a female customer thought that she could get a free frappuccino, too. Alas, she was wrong. Starbucks is only giving drip coffee for free. No frappuccino for you, I'm afraid.

"Starbucks Corp. is offering a free cup of brewed coffee to anyone who asks on Tuesday, while Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. is giving away star-shaped doughnuts. Ice cream maker Ben and Jerry's is offering a free scoop as part of a celebration of the election.
Seattle-based Starbucks had originally planned to give away the "tall" brewed coffees to anyone who reported that they voted, saying in an ad: "If you care enough to vote, we care enough to give you a free cup of coffee."
The company broadened its offer to all customers to ensure it was in compliance with election law, spokeswoman Tara Darrow said Monday evening.

"We hope there is a record turnout on Tuesday and look forward to celebrating with our customers over a great cup of coffee," she said in a statement."

More here

Starbucks Moment of the Day

Coffee Myths

Schultz did more than create the Starbucks notion back in the '80's. He seemed to also know how much the legal stimulant would come to mean to so many people at the same time. The Times posts an interesting article on the topic. And since we tend to be quite partial to the macchiato in this neck of the woods, I'll quote a 'benefit' from the feature:
"Probably the most important effects of caffeine are its ability to enhance mood and mental and physical performance. At consumption levels up to 200 milligrams (the amount in about 16 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee), consumers report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability, Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported, although higher amounts sometimes cause anxiety and stomach upset.

Millions of sleep-deprived Americans depend on caffeine to help them make it through their day and drive safely. The drug improves alertness and reaction time. In the sleep-deprived, it improves memory and the ability to perform complex tasks.

For the active, caffeine enhances endurance in aerobic activities and performance in anaerobic ones, perhaps because it blunts the perception of pain and aids the ability to burn fat for fuel instead of its carbohydrates."
Read full text here.
graph per ny times

Five Bucks Coffee?

I mention Starbucks quite often. It's after all a ubiquitous text for most people in modernity.
I was just given a t-shirt with this logo on it: Fivebucks Coffee.

Ha.
I get a kick out of it for all the right reasons.
Reactions?

Where Can I Get a Venti Macchiato

Hat tip to Richard for the pointer. The following is via Andrew Gelman
Just what does Starbucks availability reveal about us?

Sia-Crazy: "Some People Have Real Problems"

There is actually one good album to come out of '08. It's Sia's Some People Have Real Problems.
Those who enjoy acid jazz and more specifically the music of Zero 7 might already be on the Sia ship. She provided vocals for Zero 7 for a while before moving to London from her native Australia.
Sia now goes solo.
Her unique sound coupled with a gendered look render her easily visible and her lyrics are a 'poetic blend' of melancholy, anxiety, and hope.
Sia's voice is the kind that reminds one of everything and nothing at the same time. And this is why she is claiming much presence in my current playlist.
Starbucks is now distributing her new album which can only mean one thing: Sia has arrived not only critically but also commercially.

graph per myspace

You've Been Starbucked

Starbucked is written by Taylor Clark and I recommend it as it's well-informed, cogent, and entertaining.

It's just the sort of book to read on a long flight. However, you might not end up reading much on the flight itself if you happen to sit next to folk who are easy to comment on anything Starbuckian.

But I digress.

Starbucked reads fast and while it might not deter one from picking up another latte, it manages to contextualize the rise of the Starbucks Corporation most eloquently.

And, what truly sells this book to me, is the way it weaves investigative journalism with cultural commentaries. It's, if nothing else, a witty interpretation of our contemporary culture.

One of the sentences I came up with upon experiencing Clark's text is, 'oh, I reckon, I've been Starbucked.'

graph per amazon

iTunes at Starbucks

I think Apple's ads are generally smart but their blurb on the new Starbucks/iTunes alliance is not selling anything to me.

Here is the official Apple ad:

What’s That song?

'Say you’re in line at Starbucks. You hear this amazing song wafting from the speakers. You gotta have it. Now. Tap the iTunes button on your iPhone or iPod touch, tap the Starbucks button, and voilà: You see the current song, the last 10 songs played, and featured Starbucks Collections. Preview, buy, and download whatever you like, right then and there. Or, if you’re sipping away with your laptop, buy what’s playing — exclusively on iTunes.'

Hm.
Well, if you are a loyal Starbuckian, you know that you can easily get music info without constantly checking the cornucopia of Apple gadgets you might have on you. You could easily spill your Macchiato on them and voilà, you need replacements. It's more convenient to focus only on the extra hot drink while standing. As far as the background music is concerned, well, all you need to do is ask you favorite barista to go in the back and check the player for you.
No need to do everything solo. Rely on the village once in a while. It also likes interaction.



graphs per Apple

Starbucks Net Rises 35%

Starbucks Corp. posted quarterly profit that rose 35 percent on higher prices. The retailer lowered its sales and earnings forecasts after U.S. customer visits fell, sending the shares down 8 percent.

Starbucks lost customers after a 9-cent-per-cup price increase in late July caused consumers concerned about higher food, fuel and housing expenses to go to McDonald's Corp. or Dunkin' Donuts LLC stores instead.

Hm.

Let's face it, folks. It comes down to Annie's Bottom dollar, right? And nowbody wants to pay higher prices. So, let's hope milk prices drop and prices generally drop a bit so that instead of paying 4 whole dollars for a Venti Macchiato, we could all pay a measly $3.98. Because, $3.98 is just so reasonable for a cup of coffee, as my folks put it.

Decadence, Starbucks customer, is thy name!

Starbucks Prices Up..., Again

Starbucks announced they are increasing their prices. Again. They contribute such changes to the high cost of milk. Got milk? Apparently, but it'll cost you a penny or nine to get your hand on some. A whole 9-cent increase since the month of October does sound a tad intimidating.
Hmm.
I am a fan of Starbucks since, for some [feng-shui, ha!] reason their spaces world-wide are creativity-conducive and more [selfishly] importantly I have many friends/people who work for the company who in turn are very good to me and mine.

However, all of these price increases might affect me negatively and I might just take my loyalty elsewhere. Well, I doubt I'll do so right away since I have been receiving a good, Starbuckian treatment for years now, but a 9-cent increase does not appear very friendly or neighborly. I realize they have to fund their 14.000 stores worldwide, pay for their expensive leases, and their part-time employee benefits, but still, an increase is an increase and coffee, after all, is just coffee.
Watch out Starbucks. I hear Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds are catching up, or at least trying to.

Should they be sent to spelling school?!