Pathetic Starbucks Promo Poster

In my TOUGH LOVE ebook, it’s not hard to figure out that “Galaxy Coffee” is Starbucks Coffee. So when the screenplay depicts the drive, drama, and decline of Galaxy, it’s really business commentary on the goings-on with Starbucks.

There’s a scene in TOUGH LOVE where the Galaxy CEO, David Pearl, criticizes his executive team for all their shortsighted and “off-brand” marketing ideas to kick-start sales. In his badgering, David implores the executives to “never communicate like a fast food company.”

If David Pearl were the CEO of Starbucks Coffee and not of the fictitious Galaxy Coffee, this pathetic Starbucks promo poster would rankle him.

This promo poster for mini donuts has no soul ... no emotion ... no style ... no creativity. And, it has no business being inside a Starbucks.

A soulless generic poster fits inside a run down gas station or perhaps a mom and pop Gyro shop, but not inside a Starbucks. That's my TOUGH LOVE for today.

Comments

[Jay Ehret]

John,
I'd love to see you share a mini and a discussion with Howard Schultz.

[thom singer]

I am sitting in Starbucks right now, and looking around I think that the whole company is losing it edge. You are right that this poster has no soul, but even the people who work here seem less "into it" than they did 5 years ago. It is becoming common.

[john moore (from Brand Autopsy)]

Thom ... you touch upon an issue that's discussed in TOUGH LOVE. On Wednesday I'm posting a dialogue snippet where Denny Williams and John Coffey talk about Galaxy Coffee needing to hire front-line employees who are "somebodies" and not warm bodies.

[Noah Fleming]

I would have never guessed in a million years this was an actual Starbucks poster.

Looks like a posted I'd see at my local gas station coffee and donut stop.......

[Tracy]

I will never understand why companies will waste their money advertising and NOT put their company name or logo anywhere to be seen. Is that not marketing 101? I know that it is inside their store, but still come on. I thought they would know better than this.