Regarding Melted Jaffas, part uno
I found this article both amusing and interesting, seeing as how I am a self-confessed Starbucks junkie in possession of many wannabe upper-class yuppie tendencies.
[Source]
Starbucks' genius blends community, caffeine
The company knows that emotion, not logic, powers the decision to pay $3.22 for a double-tall latte, extra hot with a shot of sugar-free vanilla.
Starbucks is aptly named, for this company truly stars at sipping bucks from our wallets. The one force in America that can unify the aspirations of slackers, suits and soccer moms, its shares have grown more than 1,500% in the last 10 years. Perhaps more important for the future, Starbucks (SBUX, news, msgs) is symbolic of the end of a generational culture clash.
Now it looks like Starbucks is getting ready to take its unique brand of caffeine capitalism farther into the world, as the company announced at its annual meeting last week a plan to open 1,500 new stores globally and boost total revenue by 20%. Perhaps the beans have addled my brain, because I think that the company's campaign to turn coffee into community -- while fully at odds with common sense much of the time -- will continue to work. Like few other companies in the world, Starbucks is adept at manipulating its customers' emotional weaknesses to generate cash.
Consider my own non-rational behavior. At home, it costs me 40 cents to enjoy a big dose of caffeine in the morning. I put four tablespoons of a $10 bag of Starbucks coffee in a French press, pour in hot water, and, in a few minutes, I have three cups of joe. After the first cup, the coffee may not be so great or hot, but it's drinkable. And the price is right. Social Security.
Are you worried, too?
Sucking two cups in the early morning, however, never prevents me from striding into one of the three Starbucks shops in my downtown Seattle building when I get to work. I'm greeted there warmly by several regular employees who know my drink -- a double-tall, extra-hot latte with a single pump of sugar-free vanilla. They then swipe my Starbucks smart card (Athens Olympics edition). A few minutes later, I am sipping a $3.22 drink in the elevator en route to my 43rd floor office.
Now you can already see that several things in this scenario make no sense, and therein lies the beauty of the Starbucks business model. To wit:
Why would I want a third cup of coffee in the morning?
Why would I pay eight times more for it than for the first two?
Why would I pay for it with a card that gives the company the right to earn interest on my money?
...to be continued!