Comments on: Starbucks “Got” it wrong http://taoofchange.com/2008/03/11/starbucks-got-it-wrong/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:48:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1-alpha By: tao http://taoofchange.com/2008/03/11/starbucks-got-it-wrong/#comment-1076 tao Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:22:38 +0000 http://taoofchange.com/2008/03/11/starbucks-got-it-wrong/#comment-1076 Jerry from The Change responding here: I don't think you're dreaming. I think you're right on. If Starbucks did as you're suggesting, they would reap the benefits you're suggesting. I just think that Starbucks has reams of market research that has made them feel that the kind of committed customers who would pay more for organic milk and respond to it -- represent only a tiny non-growth segment of their business. Some companies genuinely care about sustainability -- and behave accordingly. I think this is true of Patagonia and all the companies we at The Change work with. It's evident to me from Starbuck's decisions about Fair Trade and their use of paper goods that they have no underlying commitment to those values. If they really cared about the environment, they wouldn't have made the decision to start serving all their drinks in paper as their default position. Going organic with milk would be a great way to compete with Starbuck's. Jerry from The Change responding here:

I don’t think you’re dreaming. I think you’re right on. If Starbucks did as you’re suggesting, they would reap the benefits you’re suggesting. I just think that Starbucks has reams of market research that has made them feel that the kind of committed customers who would pay more for organic milk and respond to it — represent only a tiny non-growth segment of their business.

Some companies genuinely care about sustainability — and behave accordingly. I think this is true of Patagonia and all the companies we at The Change work with. It’s evident to me from Starbuck’s decisions about Fair Trade and their use of paper goods that they have no underlying commitment to those values. If they really cared about the environment, they wouldn’t have made the decision to start serving all their drinks in paper as their default position.

Going organic with milk would be a great way to compete with Starbuck’s.

]]> By: matt http://taoofchange.com/2008/03/11/starbucks-got-it-wrong/#comment-1072 matt Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:04:35 +0000 http://taoofchange.com/2008/03/11/starbucks-got-it-wrong/#comment-1072 Great post. I always have hope that companies will make the 'right' decisions for their customers. Sometimes they do (offering fair trade and organic coffee) and sometimes they just blow it (as in Starbucks dropping the organic milk initiative). Then again, these are the big boys of business: mega-revenue is at stake, and any dent in those cause executives to balk. Or it can. So, why not have stores pilot the idea in certain locations? Do it from a geographic standpoint: if all Starbucks in San Francisco went to organic milk, wouldn't it solve two open items? #1: they get to test the effectiveness of making this change. #2: the positive PR, especially in a textbook liberal city, would be enormous. Is this just too obvious, or am I dreaming? Great post. I always have hope that companies will make the ‘right’ decisions for their customers. Sometimes they do (offering fair trade and organic coffee) and sometimes they just blow it (as in Starbucks dropping the organic milk initiative). Then again, these are the big boys of business: mega-revenue is at stake, and any dent in those cause executives to balk. Or it can.

So, why not have stores pilot the idea in certain locations? Do it from a geographic standpoint: if all Starbucks in San Francisco went to organic milk, wouldn’t it solve two open items?
#1: they get to test the effectiveness of making this change.
#2: the positive PR, especially in a textbook liberal city, would be enormous.

Is this just too obvious, or am I dreaming?

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