Posts filed as on all things Starbucks

Seattle’s Best Coffee (SBC) was purchased by Starbucks Coffee seven years ago. Starbucks hasn’t done much with it except to ink distribution deals with Borders and few fast food companies. On May 12, SBC launched a “brand reinvention” project. A

It’s been almost two years since Starbucks jumped into the deep waters of social media with their MyStarbucksIdea.com program. This is a website where customers submit and discuss ideas on ways Starbucks can improve its business. Over 80,000 ideas have

We conclude our short series highlighting Bryant Simon’s book, in EVERYTHING BUT THE COFFEE: Learning about America from Starbucks (University of California Press, 2009). Bryant writes how early on in his research he was supportive of Starbucks against its detractors

We continue our short series highlighting Bryant Simon’s book, EVERYTHING BUT THE COFFEE: Learning about America from Starbucks (University of California Press, 2009). In the book, Bryant takes a look at Starbucks from all angles including its impact on the

I first met Bryant Simon in 2006. At that time, he was in the early stages of researching Starbucks impact on culture and consumerism. We traded emails about nuanced Starbucks happenings from store-level operations to broader marketing matters. He was

Lots of chatter online about the revamped Starbucks “rewards” program. Starbucks will discontinue its Gold Card program it began a year ago. The Starbucks Gold Card program was designed like many membership rewards program where customers pay a yearly $25

Starbucks is asking its partners (employees) to make short videos about their day-to-day life at Starbucks. Love it. The company will share these videos online at www.MyStarbucksStory.com. Again, love it. Early in 2008 Starbucks did a two-minute documentary on Young

A Starbucks location once destined for closure has re-emerged as 15th Ave. Coffee & Tea. No Starbucks logo. No venti-sized cups. No sassy promotional signage. No automated espresso machines. The location is designed to look, feel, and act not like

By now you’ve heard Starbucks is introducing an instant coffee product. It’s a just add water and stir packet called VIA. Okay. Fine. That’s cool. Starbucks has long-dabbled with concentrated instant coffee. For the past ten years, the Frappuccino ice-blended

Excuse the multiple coffee-related postings today. Last one for a long time. I promise. In a cost-saving move, Starbucks no longer requires its stores to have brewed Decaf coffee ready-to-serve after 12 noon. (You can read all the hubbub on