Starbucks Post for "In Your Face" Column

This picture above was created and is property of businessweek.com. The comment below was the original comment posted on businessweek.com's website for an article called "How to re-energize Starbucks". After posting this comment, businessweek.com selected this comment for their "In Your Face" feature for readers. Businessweek.com is moving quickly to become a website which is embracing its readers and engaging them in conversation.

andrew kaplan Feb 21, 2008 4:11 PM GMT
Starbucks ideas
1. Focus on a niche for non-coffee drinkers as well such as moms with small kids. They have organic apple juice,milk and also really their cream based frappucinos are really close to milk shakes..(no caffeine)..

2.They also should get rid of the merchandising and focus on teaching the customers about coffee. Most customers and coffee drinkers do not realize each coffee is paired with a cake/food they sell and can eliminate the need for pouring milk and sugar into regular coffee as it sweetens the taste. Many of their bold coffees have better taste when paired with chocolate.

3. They really should have some type of community bulletin board in all stores.

4. They should have a permanent counter with stools and a barista teaching...and attracting single customers.

5. They should hire "public speaking baristas" who can go out to the community

6. GO GREEN - Have real mugs and encourage use of travel cups (give a large discount to "Green Customers".

Businessweek.com - "In Your Face"

This week was an amazing media week. A comment I wrote about how to re-energize Starbucks was featured at the top of Businessweek.com's new In Your Face page which was added to their home page yesterday. They created this picture.

I also had the opportunity to kick off my new MediaMensch radio show with an interview featuring Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks North America and International and current board member. The show can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mediamensch.

In addition, I was introduced to an "experimental" Starbucks drink this week which was a "Mint Chocolate Chip" frappucino. It is not on their menu and tastes exactly like the ice cream. We submitted the idea to Starbucks this week as well and thought they could do a "Green Day" on Earth Day with Green Teas, Green Lattes, and test this new Mint Chocolate Chip Frappucino.