I ♥ MY Travel CAPPUCCINO

Nobody becomes somebody with a travel mug of the latest coffee blend.
Unaware becomes intellectual. Casual becomes causal chic.

The identity that comes with the coffee has probably been the major success for the coffee chains. It has become a symbol of sophistication, motivation, social competence and wealth.
Some years back Starbucks got criticized for its unethical ways with its suppliers. With the growing importance of CSR, publics started to questions how come a multibillion company like Starbucks didn’t have fair trade coffee available.

Today, Starbucks has improved its brand by becoming Fair trade certified. A fast reaction, made the coffee giant avoid any major damages to its name and the already encoded meanings remained. A consumer holding a travel cappuccino would still feel, and perceived as, a sophisticated motivated person with high social competence. Not a person without morals and good judgement.

Product placement has been crucial to create this identity. In May this year, just after premiere of Sex and the City-The Movie, Vanity Fair published a list over the top sponsors of the production. These brands have ultimately been shown during the course of the series and gained significantly from the popularity the series has generated. Under the sub-heading
“Sips and Snacks” Starbucks is presented first, as it has occurred several times during the production. And those of us that saw " the Devil wears Prada", few missed the re-occuring presence of Starbucks Skinny lattes on Meryl Streep's desk.

Maybe that’s why…so many women got upset over the massive closure of 600 under-performing stores across the US. Some even signed petitions to stop the closure, saying that Starbucks was a “symbol of gentrification”. (Marie Cocco, for The Sacramento Bee)