Recent Changes

References
Knudson, T. (Sept. 2007). Starbucks calls itself worker friendly. The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved from SIRS Database, Jan. 2009.
Horovitz, B. (May 2006). Starbucks aims beyond Lattes to extend to films, music, etc. USA Today. Retrieved from SIRS Database, Jan. 2009.
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Conclusion
So what does this all mean? In 2006, Starbucks built nearly 25 new stores a week (Knudson, 2005). In Penfield there are two Starbucks on the same street. Guilt-ridden consumers are buying into Starbucks because of their appeal as a place of relaxation for people who view themselves as more enlightened about the world. However, most of them know little about what they are doing. In Africa, where the majority of Starbucks’ coffee is grown, farmers work in dreadful conditions for less than one dollar a day. Starbucks buys the beans from these workers for incredibly low prices and sells them as the expensive, high-end Arabica bean coffee for more than ten dollars a bag. In addition to their appeal as being “exotic and cherished”, Starbucks advertises their coffee as being fairly traded, while in reality Starbucks is just another component of the beast of corporate globalization. But down to the bare bones, Starbucks is just another example of the social aspect of human nature. The coffee shop provides a place where no matter where you are, you can always be sure to enjoy the same exact beverage you can order at your neighborhood Starbucks. What began as a small chain in Seattle has expanded into a huge corporation that spans across the globe, reaching down into the lives of thousands of poor farmers from Africa to Indonesia. Carrying around your vente cup of Carmel Macchiato and listening to your Fleet Foxes CD might be cool, but what is the cost?
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Starbucks is a franchise that values itself on being a part of the community. This is supported by the many events organized by the first informant and the location of the establishments in the most bustling parts of a town or city. During the interview, the topic of how Starbucks went about choosing its locations surfaced. The company supposedly pays people to sit at street corners and count traffic for a day, and then compare those numbers to various other intersections in the area. By the use of this method, Starbucks is able to work itself into the most active areas of a community.
Another interesting point of the argument is the company’s assertion of itself as a “third place”, a place other than work and home where a customer can relax. This is why Starbucks has small tables and couches set up in their establishments. This provides a reliable hangout place for a variety of people, but it seems that the most active customers are in their teens, as referenced in the second interview. Teenagers can come after school to socialize and talk about their days, or they can come at night to watch their friends perform at one of the small concerts that Starbucks hosts so often. Now, the first informant stated that the last thing Starbucks wants is money- their main goal is to become connected with the community. They have proven successful with their supposed “main” goal, but an analysis of the company’s advertising and public image campaign tells otherwise.
{http://www.craphound.com/images/Vietcong-Starbucks-Remix.jpg}
The above image is not an actual Starbucks ad, but it isn’t a stretch. In fact, Starbucks has little to no printed or televised advertisements, so how do they sell so much? Starbucks takes a more subtle approach: product placement. Ever since the mid-nineties, Starbucks has been a cultural juggernaut, appearing the in the hands of countless movie, television, and music icons. Director David Fincher deliberately hid a Starbucks cup in every scene of his film Fight Club in order to parody their method of product placement. Starbucks is brilliant in its advertising in that it portrays the message that Starbucks is cool without sticking it in your face. By placing itself in the media, the people who first begin to drink it are generally the most economically gifted, and having money generally correlates with being popular. Therefore, the more trendy and influential people seen drinking Starbucks, the more product they will sell. However, most products that are viewed as “trendy” are often rejected by a minority of people who are more “anti-establishment” than the average consumer. This is why Starbucks appeals itself as an ecological-friendly, fair-trade advocating corporation (their actual accordance with these institutions is negligible, but Starbucks is not about the economic stability of a small village in Ethiopia, its about selling a product). By appealing to both of these groups, Starbucks has become the corporate and social powerhouse it is today.

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Analysis
The first interview provided an excellent grounding point for analysis. It began with the supposed “goals” of Starbucks. It was obvious that Starbucks was a corporation built for the purchase of gaining revenue, but the purpose of the research was to find out how they have become so successful. After analyzing the data, it can be concluded that Starbucks makes money by creating an establishment of comfort, regularity, and community and by use of an excellent advertising campaign.
Starbucks is a franchise that values itself on being a part of the community. This is supported by the many events organized by the first informant and the location of the establishments in the most bustling parts of a town or city. During the interview, the topic of how Starbucks went about choosing its locations surfaced. The company supposedly pays people to sit at street corners and count traffic for a day, and then compare those numbers to various other intersections in the area. By the use of this method, Starbucks is able to work itself into the most active areas of a community.
Another interesting point of the argument is the company’s assertion of itself as a “third place”, a place other than work and home where a customer can relax. This is why Starbucks has small tables and couches set up in their establishments. This provides a reliable hangout place for a variety of people, but it seems that the most active customers are in their teens, as referenced in the second interview. Teenagers can come after school to socialize and talk about their days, or they can come at night to watch their friends perform at one of the small concerts that Starbucks hosts so often. Now, the first informant stated that the last thing Starbucks wants is money- their main goal is to become connected with the community. They have proven successful with their supposed “main” goal, but an analysis of the company’s advertising and public image campaign tells otherwise.
The above image is not an actual Starbucks ad, but it isn’t a stretch. In fact, Starbucks has little to no printed or televised advertisements, so how do they sell so much? Starbucks takes a more subtle approach: product placement. Ever since the mid-nineties, Starbucks has been a cultural juggernaut, appearing the in the hands of countless movie, television, and music icons. Director David Fincher deliberately hid a Starbucks cup in every scene of his film Fight Club in order to parody their method of product placement. Starbucks is brilliant in its advertising in that it portrays the message that Starbucks is cool without sticking it in your face. By placing itself in the media, the people who first begin to drink it are generally the most economically gifted, and having money generally correlates with being popular. Therefore, the more trendy and influential people seen drinking Starbucks, the more product they will sell. However, most products that are viewed as “trendy” are often rejected by a minority of people who are more “anti-establishment” than the average consumer. This is why Starbucks appeals itself as an ecological-friendly, fair-trade advocating corporation (their actual accordance with these institutions is negligible, but Starbucks is not about the economic stability of a small village in Ethiopia, its about selling a product). By appealing to both of these groups, Starbucks has become the corporate and social powerhouse it is today.

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Interview 2
The second interview was conducted with a younger, teenage girl who held the position of the grunt-like “barista”. This informant liked her job because she was able to serve all of her friends who frequented the establishment. She was then asked why she thought her friends came to Starbucks and responded thusly:
like that.
R: Sophisticated?
I: I think we try to create a sort of air of classiness. All of our drinks sound European and fancy, and we play all this new music. Also, we have all this environmental merchandise, so we are pretty ahead of the curve as far as that’s concerned. That’s what really draws the people in- you can get coffee everywhere, but at Starbucks its cool. Also, it seems like we are really the place to go for any kind of meeting here. We host a lot of musicians and whenever we’re busy there always seems to be some kind of group here.
With that statement, the informant provided an interesting insight into the mind of the Starbucks Corporation and their customers. The next step was to analyze the information I had been supplied with by these interviews.
{http://bigmarketing.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/starbucks_cup.jpg}

“Right there. That cup. We have an okay product- but its not the best. Its by far not the greatest cup of coffee you’ll ever have. But that it’s the cup that makes it important. If you carry that cup around, you say something about yourself. You say you are classy, sophisticated, and with it. I’ve seen many a movie with that little green logo in it. Our entire company is based on that little cup.”
The original informant adds:
green mermaid.”
Interview 2
The second interview was conducted with a younger, teenage girl who held the position of the grunt-like “barista”. This informant liked her job because she was able to serve all of her friends who frequented the establishment. She was then asked why she thought her friends came to Starbucks and responded thusly:
I: Well, Starbucks is just kind of cool. I guess most people come just because we have good coffee, but a lot of people come because its just a good meeting place. We’re told that Starbucks is trying to create a “third place” besides home and work. In here its tight and cozy, so we get a lot of couple or small groups just looking for a place to hang out. I think a lot of them do it because going to Starbucks is seen as being “sophisticated” and stuff like that.
R: Sophisticated?
I: I think we try to create a sort of air of classiness. All of our drinks sound European and fancy, and we play all this new music. Also, we have all this environmental merchandise, so we are pretty ahead of the curve as far as that’s concerned. That’s what really draws the people in- you can get coffee everywhere, but at Starbucks its cool. Also, it seems like we are really the place to go for any kind of meeting here. We host a lot of musicians and whenever we’re busy there always seems to be some kind of group here.
With that statement, the informant provided an interesting insight into the mind of the Starbucks Corporation and their customers. The next step was to analyze the information I had been supplied with by these interviews.

Methods
In order to answer the questions, research taken from interviews and personal observations would be necessary. The dissection of Starbucks began with a straightforward half-hour-long coffee break in a Penfield Starbucks in order to observe the customers and their habits. At a later date, a primary interview was performed on an employee at the same Starbucks. The second interview was conducted with a younger Starbucks employee at a separate location.
Interview 1
The first interview was conducted early one morning at a somewhat recently opened Penfield location. The informant was middle-aged mother of two who used to own a small coffee stand of her own but was forced to close, due in part to the competition of Starbucks. She revealed some significant insight into the inner workings of Starbucks and their operations. What was made clear to me was Starbucks’ intentions on making their establishment seem like a “third place”, an area other than home and work where one can relax and socialize:
“I feel that community is really what makes Starbucks unique. Its supposed to be a secret, but Starbucks definitely has a philosophy and a mission statement. Money is the last thing that they say they want- what Starbucks really wants is a connection to the community. Our company is not necessarily based on our products- it is based on our attitudes and customer satisfaction. Whenever customers walk in, we are told to greet them properly to make them feel included. We want to create a “third place”, a place other than work or home where people can come and relax with others. One of the really unique things about Starbucks is that in addition to our actually jobs here, we can choose other, special duties to perform. For example, in addition to being a shift supervisor, I am what is called the community steward. I organize certain events to draw in people in from the community and get us more in the loop. Last weekend I hosted a gathering to make donations for the shepherd home down the street. That night we doubled our sales just because of that event. That was great for two reasons: we got more connected to the community and we made a profit.”
The conversation then shifted towards environmental and free trade matters. The informant was confident in Starbucks’ value of the environment, citing their use of recycled materials and advertisement of Ethos Water. However, although Starbucks advertises itself as being a major component of the fair-trade circuit, the informant pointed out that there are only one or two fair-trade certified products in the store.
“Well, we like to advocate fair trade, but we have only one or two products that are designated fair trade products. We support the idea, but in reality the company just has too much coffee to produce to get it all from fair trade growers.”
The interview then veered toward a topic of particular interest to the research: the customers. The informant stated that half or more of the total customer base belonged to regulars. The regulars range from retired seniors and middle-aged workers to young people and even children.
Then, the question was asked: “If you could do anything to change Starbucks, what would you do?”
“First off, I would simply get better coffee. I don’t approve of the roasting methods they use- a lot of the flavor is lost. Secondly, I would put even more focus on the community. We could attract even more customers by being more involved with Penfield. For example, the new Starbucks and the old one at Four Corners really only generate as much profit combined as the old one did. This is because they simply did not have their hand on the pulse of the community at the time. Lastly, I would put more personal management in place. At my old coffee stand, I could make my own blends and beverages and could control my own sales. Here, management won’t let us get away with anything. When I first came here I thought the blackboard was to write down things like daily specials and whatnot. In reality, we get a memo every month detailing what we can and what we cannot put up there. Every Starbucks has to be the exact same, and that is because Starbucks is built on the idea that no matter where you are in the world, you can always walk into a Starbucks and be at your “third place”. You can order your caramel macchiato and know that drink is going to taste the exact same in Tokyo as it would here. That is why Starbucks is so impersonal. I guess its kind of okay though. Even so, I wish we could have a little more creative input into the store.”
The informant points out that while customers do get the comfort of having regularity, they give up creativity and surprise in exchange. At last, the interview finished with another Starbucks employee making a dramatic move by placing a Starbucks cup on the table and saying:
“Right there. That cup. We have an okay product- but its not the best. Its by far not the greatest cup of coffee you’ll ever have. But that it’s the cup that makes it important. If you carry that cup around, you say something about yourself. You say you are classy, sophisticated, and with it. I’ve seen many a movie with that little green logo in it. Our entire company is based on that little cup.”
The original informant adds:
“I used to drop my son off at middle school all the time. One day, out of the blue, I saw all the girls walking around with their big, “vente” cups of coffee, showing off their cups for everyone to see. I don’t think they even liked coffee- but we started an entirely new generation of caffeine addicts, all because of the little green mermaid.”

Methods

Introduction
and caffeine?