"Starbucks News Watch"

Starbucks Sets Pace for Holiday Marketing Creativity
STARBUCKS CORP. (SBUX) PAID SOME car-service drivers this holiday season to put specially made cups - that look like Starbucks paper cups but are magnetic - on the roofs of their cars. When a passerby would warn the driver of the cup on the roof before the car pulled away, the driver would hand the good Samaritan a $5 Starbucks gift card as a reward and wish them a happy holiday. Starbucks used the gimmick in Seattle, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. "The responses were hilarious," said Starbucks spokeswoman Carole Pucik. Drivers reported people wildly gesturing to indicate the cup on the roof and yelling everything from, "Dude, there's something on your roof!" to two children telling their father: "Look, that lady left her coffee on her car, you have to do something!" Among Starbucks's other "surprise and delight" tactics, as the company calls them, was to buy out select movie theaters in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. When moviegoers would try to buy a ticket, they were told that it was free, compliments of Starbucks. Starbucks also launched a microsite, the Red Cup (www.theredcup.com), with holiday activities, films and animation.

Coffee Helps Teen Make Straight A's!!

My son, Jacob, is in the eigth grade and recently began drinking coffee. Before a few months ago, he wouldn't even try it, no matter how I disguised it with milk and sugar.

He has always made very good grades, almost always four or five A's and two or three B's. Well, his latest report card showed all A's, and I can't help thinking the coffee helped him. He never drank it before the last few months. He starts drinking coffee and his grades improve dramatically!

I'm convinced it's the coffee. When asked if the coffee had anything to do with his straight A's, Jacob replied, "No, because I don't drink very much coffee. It's probably because I've been studying harder lately."

He's just bragging. He doesn't study much and I still think it's the coffee.

Robert