We are global citizens. We have an awesome responsibility especially as the addicted coffee drinkers that we are: Coffee touches numerous impoverished growing regions, and we in a first world country, have a social obligation to be not just consumers, but rather responsible collaborators. The word “collaborate” comes from the Latin, meaning, ‘labor together’. What we can do is support and anchor partnerships with organizations like (Red).
This short blog post is inspired by a MyStarbucksIdea idea thread about the cold re-usable to-go tumblers. Why not partner this product with (Red)? The most recent launch of the cold to-go cups was the November 2009 holiday version with a red and white striped straw, which tumblers sold well.
So imagine a re-usable cold cup with a red straw, and perhaps a 3 pack of spare straws, and the green Siren with the Red distinctive parenthesis around it. Just as with other (Red) partnerships, a portion of the sales could go to (Red) which fights HIV in Africa. This is a great opportunity for an easy way to create a popular product partnership with (Red). It’s a simple design idea, and already a popular item!
I’m asking my readers to please, take a minute, go to MSI, and vote up the (Red) Cold Cup thread idea. Here’s the link to follow one more time:
This blog entry gives me a chance to touch upon two previous blog posts that closely tie into the theme of this one:
- (Red) The Year In Review – An October 2009 blog entry which summarizes the many product partnerships between Starbucks and (Red).
- Recyclable Cups at Starbucks – This is an important older StarbucksMelody.com blog post about personal cup use at Starbucks. The bottom line is that it is too little, and it needs improvement.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Great idea Melody! I’ll go vote it up. This isn’t just a ploy to get me back on MSI is it? ;-p
Great idea. Realize too that (RED) is the business model for the GlobalFund (the charity that does the work – Red is the way they partner and bring in money). Also, GlobalFund doesn’t just fight AIDS, but also Tuberculosis and Malaria!
I completely forgot this was sitting in my scheduled posts thingy at wordpress. LOL. I’ll leave it up. This is a great idea, and thank you for voting it up CD!
voted up. Have a great time at the meeting this week Melody!
While I think most ideas on MSI are terrible ideas (hey lets have SF everything and have a 2000 calorie mint chocolate peanut butter toffee nut sprinkle bacon grease frappuccino!) this one is actually a good idea.
Generally I think most good ideas for a company actually come from people who work in it and not so much customers because those customer pleasing choices have mostly turned out to be bad things for Sbux (Pike Place, Nonfat milk, Drive Thrus, etc)
This one is definitely a gem though. I voted on it.
Voted up!
Voted up. I think this idea is great for two reasons:
1. Promoting a non-profit like (RED) has a global impact.
2. Taking a hot selling ticket item like the cold cup helps to further solidify Starbucks’ commitment to corporate social responsibility.
I would definitely be more inclined to frequent Starbucks and purchase cold cups for friends and relatives as gifts if they were affiliated w/ (RED).
i think this is a fabulous idea!!!! i voted
I voted.
Starbucks Japan does not yet have an event of RED, but I support the activity!
I love this idea! I voted it up.
And I love the new look of the site! I especially love the personalized SbuxMel cup at the top left!
Hey thanks Sarah! It’s a little nerve-wracking (sp?) changing the site two days before the shareholders’ meeting, because I think there is a slight chance in an uptick in traffic from the meeting, but I had began to think the old version of the site was too busy and too dark!
Thanks for voting up the (Red) Starbucks Cold Cup! It’s one of the best ideas on MSI!
Hey Melody! I voted it up on MSI! I would love a (RED) reusable cold cup. I usually bring my own hot cup and have a product(RED) Starbucks card, so it would really round out my socially and environmentally conscious Starbucks experience.
Great idea–I gave my thumbs-up vote! The (red) markings would help set the tumbler apart from the regular cold cups, and I think some people would really go for that.
Also, I like the new site design! It feels a little cleaner and brighter than before. I think the new background makes the biggest difference. The only thing I would change is to bring back the coffee cup rings showing the number of comments. They were a nice touch.
Wow, love the re-design!
Only thing is I think the avatars are a little on the small side…
Voted up! And love the redesign. Love that you kept the same font of StarbucksMelody.com.
I remember you said its the same font as one of your favorite CDs, or something like that.
ALSO… I CANNOT WAIT until I hear what you think of tomorrows shareholders meeting. Wish I could attend!
i am willing to buy almost anything (red) branded from starbucks. i love the coffee beans, and have both a hot cup and steel water bottle. and of course, (red) cards.
ps – i got my gold card yesterday in the mail. it’s super duper gold, isn’t it? i don’t think i can bring myself to use it! (red) cards ftw
@Elly, Brendan206, Kelly, CamSpi and Nathan – Thanks for the comments. Thank you SO much for voting up this great idea at MSI. As for the font, (at CamSpi), yep we kept “white horses” – It’s a very distinctive free download of a font created by Tori Amos for the Little Earthquakes album, released in June 1992 by the way. This font has tremendous personality and so I’m not quite ready to change to something more standard.
I like the new designed. I like the colors, soft and muted. Content is good in all great job.
I love the idea, Melody! I think they’d sell incredibly well, and the money goes for one of the best causes there is.
Upvoted.
not a bad idea
I’m all for a-reusable tumblers and b-red.
What I really popped over to say is I just got my gift in the mail-what a surprise! THANK YOU! I was so pumped, my husband was laughing at me