The Long Tail - Apr08

In late February, Starbucks shutdown over 7,000 locations in the US, for what it says was, to conduct a three-hour barista training course but bloggers from the media, PR and marketing industry have all expressed their differing views on what they agree was merely a PR-stunt.

Clever Witty Quick

URL http://cjpcom.blogspot.com/

Blogger Sam Fletcher

FOR

The post The PRivate Eye - Passing the (Star)bucks

What it says Fletcher reckons we need to think about the implications of such a drastic move, and examine the intentions of Starbucks - to change the consumer's perception of the brand.

"By admitting that things were wrong, Starbucks immediately told their customers that they recognized the problem and were willing to change. Most importantly, after admitting their inadequacies, they took action to fix it. Did closing down all stores for three hours make the coffee taste better the next day? Probably not, but in the eyes of the public, making that effort is the important thing".

Playbooks & Profits

URL http://blog.oregonlive.com/playbooksandprofits/

Blogger Brent Hunsberger

AGAINST

The post Survey finds Starbucks message lost on most consumers

What it says He says the three-hour shutdown of Starbucks stores gave the brand the PR it wanted but the reasoning behind it, which was barista training, has been lost on consumers.

"Aegis Group's research arm Synovate found in a survey of 1,000 consumers that 75% of respondents knew of the closing. What is surprising is that less than half knew why it had closed. Ed Murphy, VP-U.S. retail and restaurant group at Synovate, attributed this to consumers reading headlines rather than full stories, and said Starbucks was not driving home the message of quality and service".

Shotgun Marketing Blog

URL http://shotgunconcepts.blogspot.com/

Blogger Chris Houchens

AGAINST

The post Double half caff

What it says Houchens follows up on comments he made about the Starbucks store closures in AdAge, and says it was nothing but a PR / media stunt and had nothing to do with barista training.

"But here's your big problem. Customers aren't finding any big difference. And that is a huge problem. After pulling a stunt that showcases how you're going to improve, people expect...improvement. When it doesn't show up, you've ultimately hurt the brand".

The Toad Stool

URL http://tangerinetoad.blogspot.com/

Blogger Toad

FOR

The post The re-education of Bob Barista

What it says Toad says it was a clever move on the part of Starbucks because it would surely generate plenty of media coverage and shows the brand as being committed to improving product and service in a way that rings a lot truer and more authentic than any ad campaign ever could.

"And while some may question the wisdom of putting your shortcomings on display, I think it's the perfect strategy for a brand like Starbucks, a brand consumer's view as very focused on product and experience. The ‘re-education' seems authentic to them, whereas if say Dunkin' Donuts had done it, it would have seemed forced".