I am in Chicago...again, and last night I went to "Avant-Grande" An Art Exhibit by Starbucks Employees. Turns out Starbucks employees suck at art. HA HA...jokey jokey...Actually there were some really good pieces there, and Starbucks did a great job of promoting the night because it was wall to wall people. The pic I have here was my favorite...turns out it was the most expensive piece as well....$20,000. I know - seems high, but it was pretty awesome. Done by Barrett Dvorsky called "The Balance or Power". Then there was an Elvis picture I can't remember the title, should have been Elvis, or King, or "Nana-and peanut butter samich" but it wasn't. I would have taken shots of everything I liked, but I started getting the "stink eye" from the real art aficionado's.
I learned a lot about Starbucks this week. For example: not only is music VERY important to the company, rumor has it they even tried to buy a Chicago musical landmark that has been a famous venue for bands. Another rumor is that they operated a club under a different name in San Francisco couple of years ago to explore live music. I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors, but I know for sure they will go out of their way to hire a person with special needs. If somebody can't work the register, they find a job for them to do.
Here is a company that gains ground as it progresses...and that progression is serious and quantifiable "The company, which has grown from six outlets in Seattle to more than 8,200 stores worldwide since 1987, plans to open 1,500 more next year." From the Baltimore Sun
As they get bigger they continue to reach out in anti-corporate ways...and in today's market that seems to be a key to long-term growth...make yourself seem smaller.
Tongue in Cheek...I understand your suspiscion about FREE trade and have similar misgivings, but what I'm referring to, and what SBs does that is commendable (I think), is participate in FAIR trade (where the middle-person is cut out and coffee growers in 3rd world countries are paid a living-wage for their efforts and product). If I may be so bold, we should all be buying FAIR trade coffees...we CAN make a difference.
Posted by: cancer | 11/11/2004 at 09:12 AM
Cancer...I concur with you on some points yet disagree slightly with the free trade thoughts...Starbucks is becoming a global giant hoping their nasty coffee, which they now serve on every corner in every major city, will be cheaper as a result of free trade...yes, free trade would be a great idea for the world where we could all "trade freely" without illegal subsidies and the customer would decide which companies stay and go...however, as of this moment, i would not like to see free trade occur - i want governments around the world to subsidize Cosi, Panera Bread and Caribou Coffee thus illementing horrendous tall (small) coffee from Starbucks...while we are at it, maybe we could subsidize another musical group to teach Coldplay the lessons against free trade as well...
Posted by: Tongue n cheek thoughts... | 11/10/2004 at 01:47 PM
Cancer, keep on ramblin' along. Greed has many faces and they are continually changing by what you call "facelifts"--it is the bane of human nature to always want more, bigger, better etc. As any company grows, the vehicle on which "it" originally rode into existence gets lost in the vicious cycle that propels the product. Good is never good enough, better isn't good enough and best of all will never be achieved. Isn't that what marketing is all about? Always looking for a bigger and better mouse trap, one-ups-manship. Also the poor sucker at the top has to be continually worrying about the guy/gal on the ladder right behind him, so he can never slow down and has to constantly be reinventing the "wheel"......I too am rambling now...
Posted by: | 11/09/2004 at 07:17 PM
Starbucks is also becoming more conscious of fair-trade issues, which is a plus. Can't help but sympathize with the expressed dislike of our cultural colonization methods though--you know, make the rest of the world look like us by imposing imbalanced economic market-influences, etc. Now, I know Starbucks isn't guilty of something that bad--they're about more than the bottom dollar 'cuz they put on art shows--but the cynical side of me can't help seeing how greed just seems to be getting a facelift. It behooves us to support even the small steps companies like SBs take to be more mindful, but when they're opening up so many more stores (providing so many more jobs I remind myself) that will put the small business out of business...anyway, I'm rambling.
Posted by: cancer | 11/09/2004 at 03:45 PM
None of this will matter if the Baltimore Sun's reporting is correct about the baristas' wanting to unionize--that may be the death quell for sure. A cup of "joe" will become so expensive--no one will be able to afford it. It is truly disheartening, because those baristas are usually more mature and can serve up a good product--can't blame them for wanting a fair playing field--also might explain where the art is coming into play--my Starbucks is located near a major art school/colony.
As for being addictive, Amy is correct--I'm beyond "slightly" hooked on coffee. But hey....
Posted by: gigi | 11/08/2004 at 10:21 AM
Similar to McDonalds Starbucks infects our inner cities and high streets. All the places - London, San Franciso or Hamburg - are looking more and more the same.
It would be great IF Starbuck would do travelling exhibits and culturally themed weeks/months maybe with loacl artists. That would be something I would call GOOD sponsorship.
Posted by: orangeguru | 11/08/2004 at 07:56 AM
gigi - I hadn't thought of that, but the social ramifications of "community isolation" is very real and possibly has long term effects for our culture. And wafl is right...it's SLIGHTLY addictive!
Posted by: a.brain | 11/07/2004 at 11:36 PM
Let's not forget the fact that Starbucks coffee is addictive as well (e.g., gigi's "daily fix" ... another ingenius marketing move =)
Posted by: AmyWafl | 11/07/2004 at 09:56 PM
I'm not so sure it has so much to do with making things "seem smaller"--I believe it has more to do with offering those cozy creature comforts of home within the ever growing larger, more impersonal high tech nature of our world. As I go to my urban Starbucks for my daily "fix", I cannot help but notice that even tho it is the comfortable, living room atmosphere that draws everyone in (as well a good cup of coffee)--some are still sitting in solitude with their computers and earpieces acting as walls between themselves and the person next to them. Perhaps it has something to do with our human need for the familiarity of home and hearth, and they can get that fix from Starbucks too.
Starbucks offers a social cocoon, rather than an insulated/solitary cocoon, for those who want to be observers, but not participants. I see two distinct types in Starbucks, the loners who are seeking solitude within a defined atmosphere, and those who find it conducive to a casual business gathering, or a respite while shopping with a friend.
As for art and artists? we'll see....
Posted by: gigi | 11/07/2004 at 12:39 PM