Let’s make Starbucks’ partnership with Ethos Water better. If you read no further than this one sentence, then click here:
And now for more detail and how this blog post came about:
By some random luck, through fellow twitterer QuirkyJessi, I stumbled upon a website called “Blog Action Day“. The website selects a topic and attempts to create a global discussion on a specific day. So this year, the topic is “water” and participating blogs are all blogging on October 15, 2010 about “water”. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to again talk about Ethos Water at your local Starbucks.
The mission of Ethos Water is “helping get clean water to children.” In 2005, Starbucks acquired Ethos Water and now Ethos Water is widely available for purchase at every Starbucks location. The Ethos Water Fund is part of the Starbucks Foundation which raises money to bring water to children in need in developing nations, and/or raise awareness about the world water crisis.
In the United States, five cents from every purchase of Ethos Water is allocated to the Ethos Water Fund. According to the Ethos Water website, the program anticipates bringing in about $500,000 in fiscal 2010.
Personally I fully support this program because a customer who might have purchased water anyways in the store, will then be making a donation to a worthy cause. However, despite my ardent support of this program, I really think it could be improved. I have no idea what it costs to administer the program, but in order to give it more teeth, I honestly think the donation should at times be more than a nickel. Even the cup discount is ten cents if you bring in your own cup.
I have some ideas for strengthening the Ethos Water partnership. Most of my ideas are based upon what seemed to work for Starbucks with their partnership with (Red). The ideas include things like a blue Ethos Starbucks Card, increased Ethos Water merchandise, and special “Ethos days” with increased donation. I created a MyStarbucksIdea.com thread with my ideas and I hope that my friends here will go vote on that thread:
Ethos Water: Stand firm behind this partnership
Just as an aside, about one year ago I did a blog article about (Red) and summarized some of the ways the partnership had been a success. It’s interesting to look at ways that Starbucks can successfully partner with good causes, whether we’re talking about (Red), Conservation International, or Ethos Water: Previous blog post- (Red) The Year in Review
Anyway, enjoy your “blog action” day entry from StarbucksMelody.com!
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I have never checked out this water…perhaps I should.
Water is good for you.
Thanks for this post. I like all of your ideas and I have another idea: Starbucks should charge $.05 or $.10 (or whatever) for the cups of water that they currently give customers for free and donate the full amount of what they charge to the Ethos fund.
I like Ethos Water. http://yfrog.com/2fupnj
I think your Blue Card idea is very good to support the program.
Starbucks does not announce it about that continuation, Conservation International card and RED card. Release of Blue Card will be good instead if Starbucks will not continue them next year. Also I want Starbucks to begin it in the world.
And Blue apron bear to give children toys from profit. 😀
@CD – I owe you an email, and I love your idea of charging for water and donating to Ethos. Perfect!
@Nob – I LOVE the idea of an Ethos Bearista Bear, and you’re right! If no (Red) or Green (Conservation International Card) then time for a blue card. I hope more people vote up the MSI thread on this.
PS: I KNOW this blog post has HORRIBLE typos and grammar errors all over it. Perhaps my worst blog post ever. I will eventually go back and fix it. I wrote this post at like 3:30 in the morning, following two DUI beeper calls. I was so tired. So so so tired. And actually right now, I am dead tired. I got so little sleep.
Voted on your good ideas! I like the Ethos bear idea too, Nob – I’d get one!
You need enough sleep because you have to update this blog from olive way at the early morning on Monday 18. eh?
Starbucks will celebrate the 40th anniversary next year. Ethos Blue Card is good for a social activity in commemoration of it.
By the way, I found the Ethos Water bottle last year. http://twitpic.com/2y9gb0 http://twitpic.com/2y9gsh
@LatteRose
I really want Ethos bear, ambassador dream bear to give smile to children. 😀
It does however put into perspective of the the weight of importance. Life giving water versus money. I love your sense of hope in fairness. KEEP the faith! We shall prevail one day. Cheers.
Ethos rubs me the wrong way, and here’s why: know how much of that $2.00 you payed for a bottle of Ethos water goes to actually getting people fresh water? $0.10. A whole shiny dime. The rest goes to Pepsi and Starbucks, so most of your “charity” isn’t going to helping people dying of thirst, it’s going towards hookers and blow for corporate executives. Ethos is basically making their charity tax write-off their selling point, and it’s disingenuous.
If you really want to help people get fresh water, get a venti ice water for free – it’s triple-filtered, so it’s the same quality – and give that $2.00 to the Red Cross or something.
@Enlightened Coffee Sage – Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you. It’s not even a dime – I think it is just a nickel. That’s my whole point why the relationship needs to be strengthened! Right now the program is more a ‘show’ of look what we do, than a strong partnership with Starbucks giving meaningful money to Ethos Foundation. Hence, my idea thread about giving more. I think your hookers comment is way off base, but I’ll blissfully ignore that part of it, and agree with the 85% of what you said.