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Starbucks: "Race Together"

DrLeftover

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Starbucks is joining the national conversation about race in the latest sign that corporations are trying to tie their brands to big social issues.

The coffee chain known for its Frappuccinos says it will elaborate on the plans at its annual shareholder meeting Wednesday in Seattle. Already, workers at its U.S. stores have been told to write "Race Together" on cups and the company plans to start publishing "conversation guides" on the topic.

The decision has sparked a backlash on social media, with people saying it's opportunistic for a coffee chain to try and inject itself into such an important issue. But it comes as corporate executives say customers are drawn to companies that project some sort of feel-good image or embrace positions on social causes.

At the annual meeting for Yum Brands Inc., the company that owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, CEO Greg Creed said in December that fast-food chains must to evolve from being perceived as "impersonal and industrial" to being able to "demonstrate that we do care."

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/starbucks-steps-conversation-race-29720405


MORE:

Why your Starbucks barista wants to talk about race relations (+video)
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/The-Bite/2015/0317/Why-your-Starbucks-barista-wants-to-talk-about-race-relations-video
 
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...enough said. :rolleyes:
 
Was reading another article about why this is a bad idea and I totally agree with the article.
Starbucks' new campaign to start conversations about race is worse than a band-aid solution – it’s one that could actively hurt employees and business.

The practical issues of beginning these conversations with customers may be more than Starbucks is equipped to handle. Starbucks is trying to reaffirm its position as a "third place" with the campaign – somewhere outside of home and work that people meet and gather for thoughtful discussion. At the same time, Starbucks is now also a go-to for customers getting coffee on the run. Currently, a customer trying to vocalize a complicated order can slow down the line and annoy others waiting. Can you imagine the holdup associated with attempting to have a nuanced and expansive discussion of racism in America?

Additionally, while Starbucks says that partners inspired Race Together, it is difficult to imagine that employees across the board have the training – or patience – necessary to orchestrate these discussions. Putting this immense task on workers, even if it is voluntary, is taxing and unfair. Customers sue restaurants and attack employees over problems as inconsequential as order mix-ups. With hundreds of customers served at a single Starbucks every day, it's easy to imagine employees suddenly dealing with a slew of ignorant, racist or violent reactions – or individual baristas making ignorant or racist comments themselves.

Obviously, it's unlikely that a coffee chain is going to directly tackle racism in the U.S. However, Race Together goes beyond offering a weak solution – it shifts the responsibility for finding a resolution to employees suddenly tasked with a role that was never in their job description. Ethics aside, that's just bad business.

Full article
 
TRUE LIBERTY said:
You might want to put a little mocha in the cream before you start pontificating.


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Read more at http://iotwreport.com/?p=279009#uF6P880HvEboVZtf.99

Hypocrisy, thy name is Starbucks... :rolleyes:
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DrLeftover said:
"Yes, fancy people are willing to pay four dollars for 'a cup of coffee', but how many of them want to be called bigots or preached at about how they're one step from being a Klansman in the SAE while they do so."

That could define a large number of liberals & progressives, Doc... :lol: :whistle: :whistle:
 
When I went to Starbucks Saturday in the mall I admit I was looking for a verbal fight. I am sick and tired of this racist bullshit talk like every white person has something to feel guilty about. MY ASS I DO! Or every word is analyzed or as I like to say annalized when you say something deemed offensive like oriental. My wife uses that word all the time like I do and it has become the joke of the house yelling RACIST! But anyways back to Starbucks first I had to ditch the wife in the mall for a short time for me the racist to be taught on how much help I need. My lovely bride hates any conflict unless she is the one who blows her top and then watch out because even me a 6'1 at 240 pound guy shakes in fear when 95 pounds of fury is unleashed. So no need for that to happen as I make my way alone to the Starbucks. Buy some rare chance we must have had a cluster of intelligent men who actually watch the news have my idea because they were asking the questions about what is this race thing you are supposed to talk about as they got to the counter? I felt a bit sorry for these teenagers and young adults of several races behind the counter because they wanted none of the hell some of us frustrated Americans wanted unleash on this store. Usually when I am with my wife at the mall that team behind the counter of blacks, whites and spanish are usually all smiles and having fun and joking with each other while they feed the long line of caffeine addicts. But not today it looked depressing and just did not have the heart to try and start something. The Frappucino was good though!
 
Starbucks baristas stop writing 'Race Together' on cups
The baristas had begun writing "Race Together" on customers' cups, as a means of starting a conversation with customers, but the practice ended Sunday after just one week, said company spokesman Jim Olson. But the chain's initiative will continue more broadly without the handwritten messages, Starbucks spokesman Jim Olson said.

The cups were always "just the catalyst" for a larger conversation and Starbucks will still hold forum discussions, co-produce special sections in USA Today and put more stores in minority communities as part of the Race Together initiative, according to a company memo from CEO Howard Schultz said.

The campaign has been criticized as opportunistic and inappropriate, coming in the wake of racially charged events such as national protests over police killings of black males. Others questioned whether Starbucks workers could spark productive conversations about race while serving drinks.

The critics blasted Corey duBrowa, the company's senior vice president of global communications, on Twitter after the plan was first announced, calling it patronizing at best and inflammatory at worst. The executive was forced to delete his Twitter account, although he re-activated it the next day.

“Last night I felt personally attacked in a cascade of negativity,” he tweeted. “I got overwhelmed by the volume and tenor of the discussion, and I reacted.”

The phase-out is not a reaction to that pushback, Olson said. "Nothing is changing. It's all part of the cadence of the timeline we originally planned."

He echoed the company memo, saying of the Race Together initiative, "We're leaning into it hard."

Schultz's note acknowledged the skeptics as an anticipated part of the outreach.

"While there has been criticism of the initiative -- and I know this hasn't been easy for any of you -- let me assure you that we didn't expect universal praise," it read.

He said the campaign at its core aims to make sure that "the promise of the American Dream should be available to every person in this country, not just a select few."
 
At first I thought this to be a good idea, but that's because I never thought of the effects it would have on the employees.. I assumed it would be "#RaceTogether" on every customers cup, and that would be the end of it. But having discussions on racism..?? C'mon!!! These employees weren't trained to deal with this. I feel bad for them to be quite honest.
 
The decision has sparked a backlash on social media, with people saying it's opportunistic for a coffee chain to try and inject itself into such an important issue.

Very opportunistic.
 
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